Glasgow actor Tharan Sivapatham speaks of his passion for acting and barriers faced by minority groups in the showbiz industry

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A well-known Sri Lankan born actor and refugee who starred in a popular Netflix film, is looking to promote greater diversity in the entertainment industry through his performance studio in Glasgow.

At the age of eight, Tharan Sivapatham had to leave his home because of a civil war back in his home country, which resulted in his family moving to a Glasgow council estate with only £50 in their pockets.

Sivapatham was always passionate about acting, but due to unfortunate circumstances, he saw being able to go to a drama school as a ‘luxury’. He went on to study engineering at the University of Strathclyde instead. 

However, his fate would lead him back to his passion as after a performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2014, he felt encouraged to follow through on his dreams.

The ‘self-taught’ actor has been very successful in his career as an actor and even starred opposite Will Ferrell in the 2020 musical comedy, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

His experience in Hollywood led him to understand the barriers that many minority and working class groups face. To provide these groups a platform, he collaborated with his colleague Julie Gladin to set up the Southside Performance Studio on Abercromby Street.

Speaking of his inspiration he told Glasgow Times, “Acting has long been a glamourised and sought-after profession, whether it is shooting a thriller on film or receiving rapturous applause for a stage performance, the adrenaline experienced when taking on a crucial role cannot be matched.

“I want people from all backgrounds to experience the buzz acting can give you, no matter your age, ethnicity or difficulties.

“Everyone, regardless of where you were schooled or where you grew up, should be given the opportunity to succeed in an audition, and this is our number one goal at Southside Performance Studio.”

The Southside Performance Studio, which provides professional acting and singing courses with group and one-to-one training, was officially launched in 2020 and has produced six theatre plays, three feature films, 14 short films, 24 sketches and a TV series which is available for viewers to watch on Amazon Prime.