‘Nothing worked for me until I was clean and sober’: Ashley Walters on acting, directing – and turning his life around

Ashley Walters, the 44-year-old actor known for Top Boy and Adolescence, reflects on his journey from addiction and a seven-month prison sentence to professional success. Walters describes prison as one of the best experiences of his life, noting that stability only arrived once he became clean and sober. Having achieved early fame and fatherhood before age 21, he has now expanded his career into directing with his first film, Animol, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.