“If you’re willing to change, you can change.”
In short: Ashley Walters, the British actor, musician and producer known for So Solid Crew and the lead role in Top Boy, answers Brian Rose’s closing questions in this short clip from his London Real interview: what he would tell his 20-year-old self, and the best advice he has been given.
Ashley’s first answer is practical. He says he signed bad contracts when he was young that have affected him financially ever since, and tells anyone about to do a big deal not to feel rushed and not to be afraid to ask questions. Brian’s summary is blunt: get a good lawyer.
He then shares two pieces of advice from his family: his dad’s remark, made while he was dying, that perfection does not exist, and his stepdad Richard’s routine of visualising what you want and telling yourself every morning that you are great.
Key takeaways
- Read the contract. Ashley says he signed bad deals as a young man and still feels the financial effects, so he would tell his younger self to ask questions before signing.
- Never decide from desperation. Needing something badly pushes you down the wrong path, he says.
- Perfection does not exist. His dad told him that striving for it is pointless, which still resonates with him.
- See what you want. His stepdad had him cut pictures out and make collages to put around his home so he saw his goals daily.
- Talk to yourself kindly. Ashley looks in the mirror each morning and tells himself he is great and will not fail.
- Change is possible. He says anyone willing to do something different can change, whatever they have done before.
Advice to his 20-year-old self
Asked what he would say if he could call 20-year-old Ashley, he picks contracts. He signed some deals he regrets and says they put him in difficult financial situations. His advice to anyone that age: do not feel rushed, do not feel scared to ask questions, and do not let your need for something drive your decisions.
Advice from his dad and his stepdad
Ashley says his dad, who was dying of lung cancer, kept smoking and told him that all he did was strive for perfection when it does not exist. Ashley took it to mean he should stop worrying about what other people think and embrace himself.
His stepdad Richard helped him through a period of deep depression, introducing him to NLP, mantras and the work of Jim Rohn. Ashley still looks in the mirror every day and says he is great, and says he feels better and more productive when he does.
Willing to change, able to change
To young people going through tough times, Ashley says it does not matter what you have done if you are willing to do something different. He recalls the press calling him a gangster and feeling that his career was over, and says he now looks back at how that changed. He believes someone who has come from the wrong place to the right place is more powerful, because they have grit and have seen the other side.
Who is Ashley Walters?
Ashley Walters is a British actor, musician and producer. He became known as a member of So Solid Crew and is the lead of the TV drama Top Boy. He appeared on London Real with Brian Rose, and this clip comes from that interview, first published in 2019.
Frequently asked questions
He says to be careful with contracts, to ask questions before signing anything, and not to let desperation drive decisions.
His dad told him that he was always striving for perfection and that it does not exist.
Every morning he looks in the mirror and tells himself he is great and will not fail, a habit he learned from his stepdad Richard.
This is a short clip from his full London Real interview with Brian Rose; the full conversation is on the London Real site.
