A Perth man has been accepted to a top US drama school after being turned down repeatedly in his home country.
In September, Ian Stobbie will jet across the Atlantic to take up a place at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York.
The oldest acting school in the English-speaking world, the AADA counts greats such as Robert Redford, Lauren Bacall, Spencer Tracy, Grace Kelly and Kirk Douglas among its alumni.
However, Ian is concerned that a lack of funds could yet prevent him from achieving his dream, as his visa conditions prevent him taking a part-time job.
The 33-year-old, who currently works in a restaurant, says he was “bitten by the bug” after landing a role in a Boys’ Brigade play when he was 10.
Since then he has taken on various roles and auditioned for drama schools, including the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Now, following a successful audition, he is one step closer to his goal of becoming a professional actor.
“Being an actor is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 10 years old,” he said.
“I’d been doing a show and the director advised me to try and get back into drama college. I did the rounds I auditioned for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Napier University and the big drama colleges in England.
“I was turned down by UK colleges I’d managed to get to the recall stages but I didn’t quite make it.
“I just happened to stumble on an advert for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and thought, ‘why not? I’ll give it a go’.
“I went for an audition in London and a few days later they contacted me to tell me I’d got a place.”
Ian added: “It’s kind of daunting but I’m looking forward to it.
“I’m just trying to get funding at the moment because it’s not going to be cheap I even have a Go Fund Me page.
“I’m worried the lack of funding could stop me; unfortunately, I can’t get a part-time job there because my student visa doesn’t cover that.
“I also have to have enough money to show that I’m not going to be in poverty or out on the streets.”