A dad who turned his life around and quit his alcohol and drug addiction after a chance conversation with Mark Wahlberg about his dreams to become an actor has now shot his first film in Hollywood.
Jamie Humphrey, 34, works as a binman in between acting jobs and hopes to make it big in Hollywood one day after filming his first movie out in Los Angeles earlier this month.
The dad-of-five previously struggled with his mental health and turned to drink and drugs as he battled depression, but during a shift as a security guard for a film set, Jamie had a chance meeting with Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg who encouraged him to follow his dreams – a conversation which “flicked a light switch” in Jamie’s brain.
Now Jamie regularly auditions for movie roles and played an extra alongside Samuel L Jackson in the Marvel Studios TV miniseries Secret Invasion before landing a lead role in his first independent Hollywood film, Ready to Kill.
At the start of November, Jamie filmed his parts for the independent film directed by Shannon Farrow who runs ING Films.x
Jamie works as a binman in between acting jobs— (PA)
Jamie, who lives in Sittingbourne, Kent, with his wife, Lisa, 29, a stay-at-home mother, and their five children, told PA Real Life: “I’ve come far since speaking to Mark Wahlberg.
“Before that, I was at rock bottom in terms of my mental health – I admit I turned to drugs and alcohol and I didn’t know how I was going to get out of the rut I was in.
“My dad was always my biggest supporter and he paid for my train ticket for my first ever extra role.
“To lose him in 2020 was just devastating, as we were so close, but I was determined to keep going for him.
“Now I want to make my family proud and filming my first Hollywood film was a big milestone.”
Jamie filmed his parts of his first Hollywood movie, Ready to Kill, earlier this month, flying out to LA on November 8 after meeting the filmmaker online.
He said: “I met the filmmaker on Facebook, he’d been following me for a while and had written a film called Ready to Kill.
The 34-year-old had hit rock bottom before deciding to pursue acting— (PA)
“He asked me to be part of it and I said I’d love to come out and film it, and the next thing you know, I’m out there in LA playing the lead role.”
The independent film was shot by one man with a camera and Jamie filmed his parts in five days.
“I play the character of a man whose date gets kidnapped and he wants revenge on the people who kidnapped her,” he said.
“It was fun because I had a lot of control over my character and got to change certain parts of it to suit how I act.
“The film didn’t have a big budget but I’m already living the dream because I’m doing what I love.
“I get to stay in incredible places, really nice hotels and I work with really interesting people.”
Since taking the plunge into acting, Jamie has landed roles in Bollywood movies as well as a music video and recently played an extra on the TV miniseries, Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L Jackson.
Jamie hopes to make it big in Hollywood— (PA)
Jamie said: “I got to speak to Samuel L Jackson on set which was great. I play a Russian extra in one of the scenes and it was really exciting being part of such a big production.”
While Jamie is sometimes paid for the roles he takes, other times he only has his travel and accommodation covered but said those roles are “stepping stones” as he hones his craft.
He said: “I do acting because I love it, I’m just out there filming for the love of it. I’m not going to go back to the addiction or anything like that.
“I’ve just got to keep building.”
Previously battling addiction to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism for his depression, Jamie turned his life around after a chance meeting with Mark Wahlberg in 2019.
Jamie said: “I was working on a film set, guarding Mark Wahlberg’s trailer. I didn’t expect to actually meet him, but he stopped one day to talk to me.
“It was just a two-minute conversation but it ended up changing my life.
Jamie filmed his first movie out in Los Angeles earlier this month— (PA)
“He stopped and asked me about myself and what my dreams were – I told him I wanted to be like him and to make money like him, that my dream since childhood was to be an actor.
“He said to me, ‘Well, what are you doing standing here?’
“It was like a light switch had been flicked. Suddenly a spark had ignited. I began looking for acting roles as an extra, or small parts that I could audition for.”
While Jamie is still affected by the loss of his father, Kevin, 59, who died due to complications from Covid in December 2020, he said he is now focused on his new career and honours his memory by staying clean.
“I’m working 24/7, so I get up in the morning and go to work, come home, spend some time with the kids and go to bed. I can’t stop now, there’s no turning back,” he said.
“Everyone thinks that, because I’ve shot for an independent film, you can’t call it a Hollywood film but Hollywood films aren’t just the big movies.
He said his dad was his biggest supporter— (PA)
“I’m really excited to be doing independent films as I’m able to get bigger roles and have more fun with the acting.”
Jamie has also recently acted in a music video for the song, Dugout, by Humane The Moon, which was released on November 15.
Jamie added: “I’ve got a lot of new stuff coming up and it’s all really positive.
“I’ve come a long way since that conversation with Mark Wahlberg and I’m determined to get to where I want to be.
“I’d love to live in Hollywood one day and make my children proud. I’ll keep working until I get there.”
