Michael Socha
Encyclopedia
Michael Socha is an English actor, best known for his roles in the critically acclaimed films This Is England
and Summer
, and the television series This Is England '86
and Being Human
.
, England, to Robert and Kathleen Socha (nicknamed "Kath") on 13 December 1987. He is the older brother of actress Lauren Socha
, star of the Channel 4
comedy-drama Misfits
. Michael was raised in the town of Littleover
, and attended Saint Benedict Catholic School. Socha was a rebellious student, and in his own words "a little s***". He often skipped school, but when forced to attend he tried to make it fun by doing the things he was most interested in. At the age of 11 Michael unsuccessfully auditioned for the lead role in a school musical play
. When Michael was 12, his mother read in a local newspaper about a play being cast by the Chellaston
Youth Players. She asked her son and daughter if they wanted to try out for it, and both did. Michael's motivation for auditioning was his anger at being denied a role in the musical and his desire to prove his teachers wrong about his acting skills. He won the lead role of Bugsy Malone
in the play. He acted in several plays for the group, but by his own admission did not take acting very seriously.
Through teachers at Michael's school the family learned about film director Ian Smith's Central Television Junior Workshop, a free actor's workshop for young people from the Nottingham
area. He enrolled in the course when he was 14, but was almost refused admission as he had failed to learn the monologue for his audition and was put in the "reserve group". His second audition went the same way, but the program relented and allowed him in after a time. Michael says the workshop had a strong impact on him, and he began working hard at acting. His first professional role came when he was cast in a small part in a short film. He was quickly cast in several small parts subsequently, and hired an agent.
Socha's father had a long history of alcohol abuse, and his parents separated. In 2004, Robert Socha died of an alcohol-related heart attack. According to Kath Socha (a residential social work
er), the death of Michael's father made her son very independent. "Michael was walking the streets of London at 16 going to auditions. He had to because I was working. He'd go off with a map and Tube fare."
Michael Socha liked drama, English, and history courses, however, and received his GCSEs
in those three subjects. He credits his teacher, Mrs Urquhart-Hughes, as someone who watched over him, motivated him, and got him to do his homework after school.
His first job after leaving school was in a manufacturing factory. He disliked it and quit, and enrolled at Burton College
, a further education
school. He worked at two other factories after leaving school, as well as at a car wash
. He also worked as a labourer for his uncle's bricklaying firm, mixing mortar for the bricklayers. But as he was constantly taking off work at the last moment to attend auditions he quit working full time and dedicated himself to acting.
skinhead
subculture
film, This Is England
.
In 2008, he was cast in Kenneth Glenaan's BAFTA Scotland
-award winng film Summer
, where he acted opposite Robert Carlyle
. The same year, he appeared in Duane Hopkins
film Better Things and the independent small-budget comedy Dogging: A Love Story. He also appeared in three episodes of the BBC One
medical drama Casualty
. In February 2009, Socha made his stage debut at Nottingham Playhouse
in Glamour, a comedy by Stephen Lowe. The same year, he appeared in an episode of the science fiction police drama
Paradox
on BBC One
and in the made-for-television movie The Unloved
for Channel Four.
Despite his initial success, Socha was "penniless" and "waiting for work" for much of 2009 and early 2010, sitting at home and watching daytime television. His next big break came when Shane Meadows asked him to reprise the role of Harvey the bully for a four-part television series for Channel Four. The series, This Is England '86
, follows the lives of the film's characters three years after the events originally depicted. It aired in September 2010. That same year, Socha appeared in an episode of the hit television comedy Married Single Other
as well as the film Bonded by Blood
. He also appeared in the This Is England Christmas special, and in a music video with American soul music
singer Lauren Pritchard
.
Socha appeared in BBC Three
hit supernatural series Being Human
in 2011, receiving good critical notice as the innocent young werewolf
Tom McNair. He almost did not appear on the show. He missed his audition after a taxicab hit him and fled the scene
while he was helping a friend move furniture across a road in Normanton. Although only bruised, he missed his audition and had to plead for a second chance. He won the role of Tom, a young werewolf who has been raised in the wild by his father and taught to hunt vampires. During the transformation scenes, Socha was asked to appear nude. Socha's friends worried about how they themselves would react to doing nude scenes, but Socha says, "I just thought 'fuck it, I’ll do it. He discussed the scenes with co-star Russell Tovey
, who convinced him to do the scenes nude. Socha says that after about 30 minutes he relaxed and began to enjoy the filming. During his time on Being Human, Socha says he became good friends with Tovey and co-star Robson Green
. Socha has admitted that he can get carried away while performing some of his more physically demanding scenes (such as running naked through the woods). On another occasion, acting out a werewolf transformation in a metal cage, he almost injured himself after his physical acting became too extreme. He has received at least seven minor injuries requiring medical treatment and reporting to authorities.
Socha has agreed to appear in the fourth series of Being Human, scheduled to air in 2012.
Socha says he likes to spend his spare time going out or relaxing at home doing nothing. He has a fondness for French cinema
(although he speaks no French) and for reality television shows like Big Brother
. His favorite football team is Derby County F.C.
He told the publication Gay Times
that he struggles with being a well-known actor. "It’s hard trying to find that balance between being who I am in Derby with the people I’m with in Derby, and then being Michael the actor, and it’s quite hard finding that balance. That’s what I always struggled with at school. I’m still gonna be Michael who’s Michael, it’s just I do a bit of acting, and some of the lads take the piss, but then after a year or so it’s just who I was and if they didn’t like it they could fuck off."
This Is England
-Track listing:#"54-46 Was My Number" - Toots & The Maytals#"Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners#"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell#"Underpass/Flares" - Movie Dialogue From This Is England#"Nicole " - Gravenhurst...
and Summer
Summer (2008 film)
Summer is a 2008 film directed by Kenneth Glenaan and starring Robert Carlyle and Rachael Blake. It tells the story of a lively and wayward spirit coming to terms with the realities of age and death.-Awards:...
, and the television series This Is England '86
This Is England '86
This Is England '86 is a 2010 British drama series written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne. A spin-off from the 2006 film This Is England, and set three years later, it focuses on the mod revival scene rather than the skinhead subculture...
and Being Human
Being Human (TV series)
Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...
.
Early life
Socha was born in DerbyDerby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, England, to Robert and Kathleen Socha (nicknamed "Kath") on 13 December 1987. He is the older brother of actress Lauren Socha
Lauren Socha
Lauren Marie Socha is a BAFTA award winning English actress, best known for her starring role in the E4 comedy-drama television series Misfits and a co-starring role in the Channel 4 drama The Unloved. She attended St. George's RC Primary School, Burton College and Saint Benedict School and...
, star of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
comedy-drama Misfits
Misfits (TV series)
Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama television series about a group of young offenders forced to work in a community service programme, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm. The first series started broadcasting on 12 November 2009 on E4, and was...
. Michael was raised in the town of Littleover
Littleover
Littleover is a large suburb of Derby, England situated between Rose Hill, Normanton, Sunny Hill, South Derbyshire and Mickleover about three miles south west of Derby city centre.-History:The history of the name of Littleover is simple...
, and attended Saint Benedict Catholic School. Socha was a rebellious student, and in his own words "a little s***". He often skipped school, but when forced to attend he tried to make it fun by doing the things he was most interested in. At the age of 11 Michael unsuccessfully auditioned for the lead role in a school musical play
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. When Michael was 12, his mother read in a local newspaper about a play being cast by the Chellaston
Chellaston
Chellaston is a suburb of the City of Derby, which is in the East Midlands in England in the United Kingdom. It is on a natural hill, and has recently expanded due to several new housing estates....
Youth Players. She asked her son and daughter if they wanted to try out for it, and both did. Michael's motivation for auditioning was his anger at being denied a role in the musical and his desire to prove his teachers wrong about his acting skills. He won the lead role of Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone
Bugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in New York City in the Prohibition era, specifically the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran, as dramatized in cinema...
in the play. He acted in several plays for the group, but by his own admission did not take acting very seriously.
Through teachers at Michael's school the family learned about film director Ian Smith's Central Television Junior Workshop, a free actor's workshop for young people from the Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
area. He enrolled in the course when he was 14, but was almost refused admission as he had failed to learn the monologue for his audition and was put in the "reserve group". His second audition went the same way, but the program relented and allowed him in after a time. Michael says the workshop had a strong impact on him, and he began working hard at acting. His first professional role came when he was cast in a small part in a short film. He was quickly cast in several small parts subsequently, and hired an agent.
Socha's father had a long history of alcohol abuse, and his parents separated. In 2004, Robert Socha died of an alcohol-related heart attack. According to Kath Socha (a residential social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er), the death of Michael's father made her son very independent. "Michael was walking the streets of London at 16 going to auditions. He had to because I was working. He'd go off with a map and Tube fare."
Michael Socha liked drama, English, and history courses, however, and received his GCSEs
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
in those three subjects. He credits his teacher, Mrs Urquhart-Hughes, as someone who watched over him, motivated him, and got him to do his homework after school.
His first job after leaving school was in a manufacturing factory. He disliked it and quit, and enrolled at Burton College
Burton College
Burton and South Derbyshire College is a further education college located in Burton upon Trent in England. Early in 2011 the college was renamed Burton & South Derbyshire College.-Courses:...
, a further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
school. He worked at two other factories after leaving school, as well as at a car wash
Car wash
A car wash or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior and, in some cases, the interior of motor vehicles.- Categories :...
. He also worked as a labourer for his uncle's bricklaying firm, mixing mortar for the bricklayers. But as he was constantly taking off work at the last moment to attend auditions he quit working full time and dedicated himself to acting.
Career
Socha's breakout role came early in his acting career. In 2006, he was cast as the bully Harvey in Shane MeadowsShane Meadows
Shane Meadows is an English film director, screenwriter, occasional actor and BAFTA winner.-Background:Meadows grew up in the Westlands Road area of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. His father was a long distance lorry driver and his mother worked in a fish and chip shop...
skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
film, This Is England
This Is England
-Track listing:#"54-46 Was My Number" - Toots & The Maytals#"Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners#"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell#"Underpass/Flares" - Movie Dialogue From This Is England#"Nicole " - Gravenhurst...
.
In 2008, he was cast in Kenneth Glenaan's BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA Scotland
BAFTA in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Formed in 1997, the branch holds an annual awards ceremony, the British Academy Scotland Awards , to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Scottish film, television and video games...
-award winng film Summer
Summer (2008 film)
Summer is a 2008 film directed by Kenneth Glenaan and starring Robert Carlyle and Rachael Blake. It tells the story of a lively and wayward spirit coming to terms with the realities of age and death.-Awards:...
, where he acted opposite Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
. The same year, he appeared in Duane Hopkins
Duane Hopkins
Duane Hopkins is an English film director, artist and photographer, best known for directing the independent film Better Things .- Career :...
film Better Things and the independent small-budget comedy Dogging: A Love Story. He also appeared in three episodes of the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
medical drama Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
. In February 2009, Socha made his stage debut at Nottingham Playhouse
Nottingham Playhouse
The Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in the 1950s when it operated from a former cinema. Directors during this period included Val May and Frank Dunlop.-The building:...
in Glamour, a comedy by Stephen Lowe. The same year, he appeared in an episode of the science fiction police drama
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
Paradox
Paradox (TV series)
Paradox is a 2009 British science fiction police drama, starring Tamzin Outhwaite as Detective Inspector Rebecca Flint. Written by Lizzie Mickery and produced by Clerkenwell Films for the BBC, it was filmed and set in Manchester, England....
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and in the made-for-television movie The Unloved
The Unloved
The Unloved is a British television drama starring Molly Windsor, Susan Lynch and Robert Carlyle. It is about an eleven year old girl called Lucy growing up in a children's home in the UK's care system, and shown through her perspective...
for Channel Four.
Despite his initial success, Socha was "penniless" and "waiting for work" for much of 2009 and early 2010, sitting at home and watching daytime television. His next big break came when Shane Meadows asked him to reprise the role of Harvey the bully for a four-part television series for Channel Four. The series, This Is England '86
This Is England '86
This Is England '86 is a 2010 British drama series written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne. A spin-off from the 2006 film This Is England, and set three years later, it focuses on the mod revival scene rather than the skinhead subculture...
, follows the lives of the film's characters three years after the events originally depicted. It aired in September 2010. That same year, Socha appeared in an episode of the hit television comedy Married Single Other
Married Single Other
Married Single Other is a British television drama created and written by Peter Souter. The series is based on the lives of group of people who are either married, single or "other", other being defined as in a relationship. It began airing on Monday 22 February 2010 at on ITV1 and UTV...
as well as the film Bonded by Blood
Bonded by Blood (film)
Bonded by Blood is a 2010 film directed by Sacha Bennett which revolves around the same characters from Rise of the Footsoldier.-Plot:The film is set in 1995, drug suppliers and career criminals Tony Tucker, Patrick Tate and Craig Rolfe were blasted to death by a shot gun whilst waiting in a Range...
. He also appeared in the This Is England Christmas special, and in a music video with American soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Lauren Pritchard
Lauren Pritchard (singer)
Lauren Pritchard is an American soul singer, songwriter and actress, currently based in London, England.Born and raised in Jackson, Tennessee, Pritchard began writing songs when she was just 14 years old. She then moved to Los Angeles at 16, where she lived with Lisa-Marie Presley and tried to...
.
Socha appeared in BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
hit supernatural series Being Human
Being Human (TV series)
Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama...
in 2011, receiving good critical notice as the innocent young werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
Tom McNair. He almost did not appear on the show. He missed his audition after a taxicab hit him and fled the scene
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
while he was helping a friend move furniture across a road in Normanton. Although only bruised, he missed his audition and had to plead for a second chance. He won the role of Tom, a young werewolf who has been raised in the wild by his father and taught to hunt vampires. During the transformation scenes, Socha was asked to appear nude. Socha's friends worried about how they themselves would react to doing nude scenes, but Socha says, "I just thought 'fuck it, I’ll do it. He discussed the scenes with co-star Russell Tovey
Russell Tovey
Russell George Tovey is an English actor with numerous television, film and stage credits. Tovey is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural drama Being Human which started in 2008...
, who convinced him to do the scenes nude. Socha says that after about 30 minutes he relaxed and began to enjoy the filming. During his time on Being Human, Socha says he became good friends with Tovey and co-star Robson Green
Robson Green
Robson Green is an English actor, singer–songwriter and presenter.-Biography:Robson Golightly Green was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and baptised in Bethel Chapel, , and named in Northeast tradition as first son after family surnames: Robson is his grandmother's maiden surname, while Golightly...
. Socha has admitted that he can get carried away while performing some of his more physically demanding scenes (such as running naked through the woods). On another occasion, acting out a werewolf transformation in a metal cage, he almost injured himself after his physical acting became too extreme. He has received at least seven minor injuries requiring medical treatment and reporting to authorities.
Socha has agreed to appear in the fourth series of Being Human, scheduled to air in 2012.
Personal life
As of October 2010, Socha had a girlfriend, Faye, whom he had dated for more than five years.Socha says he likes to spend his spare time going out or relaxing at home doing nothing. He has a fondness for French cinema
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
(although he speaks no French) and for reality television shows like Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
. His favorite football team is Derby County F.C.
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
He told the publication Gay Times
Gay Times
Gay Times is one of the United Kingdom's leading gay magazine for gay and bisexual men.-Publication and content:...
that he struggles with being a well-known actor. "It’s hard trying to find that balance between being who I am in Derby with the people I’m with in Derby, and then being Michael the actor, and it’s quite hard finding that balance. That’s what I always struggled with at school. I’m still gonna be Michael who’s Michael, it’s just I do a bit of acting, and some of the lads take the piss, but then after a year or so it’s just who I was and if they didn’t like it they could fuck off."