Sunderland actor needs your help to follow in the footsteps of Tom Hardy

Brent Copeland, 27, from Hendon, has won a place at the prestigious MA Screen: Acting course at Drama Centre London which could hold the key to him pursuing his dream career.

Despite impressing the audition panel enough to secure a place, he wasn’t lucky enough to win a scholarship, leaving Brent facing the task of raising the course fees himself.

Brent has managed to get a student loan to pay £10,000 towards the cost of the course and his first term living costs, but still needs to find another £8,000.

To help him on the road to stardom he’s launched a crowd-funding campaign to help raise the remaining funds with a number of incentives for backers, including personalised thank you messages and gifts, as well as singing a tailored set-list of songs at a private event.

He said: “Winning the scholarship would have been a massive help as it would have cut the fees by 50%. I was confident I would get it because I met the criteria due to my background, so I was heart-broken to find out all the awards had been allocated. I resigned myself to the fact that I couldn’t attend the course, but I’ve put so much effort into this I didn’t want to give up. So I decided I would try a crowd funding campaign, at least then I know I will have tried everything.

“My roots are really important to me and I’m so proud to have even won a place. Of the thousands who apply I was one of only 17 to be offered a place. “So I’m really hoping people will believe in me enough to make a pledge.”

Brent - who’s worked as an extra in various features, from playing a tie fighter pilot in Star Wars Rogue One, and having a line with Tom Hardy in Taboo - is hoping to raise the funds needed by January 7, ready for his course start date on January 8.

He added: “I’ve taken acting as far as I can on my own, so I feel like this course is vital for my career. Once I graduate I’d receive an Equity and Spotlight card which means I could audition for all the big shows.”

•To donate to Brent’s fund visit https://www.gofundme.com/send-brent-to-drama-centre-london