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Actor Eddie Marsan has claimed people like Laurence Fox are “scared of a level playing field” after being named one of the new vice presidents of a leading UK drama school. The 57-year-old British actor hit out at “posh boys playing working-class characters" and hailed drama Top Boy as “one of the saving graces” for actors from black communities, in an interview with Sky. Marsan’s comments follow his appointment as one of the new vice presidents of Mountview drama school, along with fellow actors Dame Elaine Paige and Giles Terera. The Peckham-based institution, presided over by Dame Judi Dench since 2006, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. All three have served as longstanding ambassadors for the Peckham school. Actor Marsan (Sherlock Holmes, Mission Impossible) graduated from Mountview with a BA in acting in 1991. He received an honorary doctorate in 2018 after supporting its move to Peckham. He recently portrayed Amy Winehouse's father Mitch in the film Back To Black, and said: "I wouldn't have a career without Mountview, I owe this institution everything. "I'm honoured to be vice president of the school and look forward to helping it offer brilliant training to everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, class, gender or sexuality. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and we must change that." In his interview with Sky, Marsden said: "One of the saving graces really are things now like Top Boy and Supacell, where you have members of the black community making dramas about their communities, that can't be co-opted by the middle classes. "People like Laurence Fox complaining that it's unfair, I never heard them complain when you never saw a black face, never once did they say anything. Now that people are trying to address it, they think it's unfair…because they're scared of a level playing field." Speaking about his own career, Marsden said he struggled to get opportunities in Britain after playing a gangster in American crime drama 21 Grams. “I remember thinking, 'great I'm going to have a career now,' but I wasn't the idea of what Britain was selling of itself. "Even a gangster movie now, 40 years ago you would have something like The Long Good Friday or Get Carter with people like Michael Caine or Bob Hoskins who were real working-class actors playing those parts, now you have posh boys playing working-class characters." Olivier Award-winner Paige, who received her damehood at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, said she is "deeply honoured" to accept the vice presidency. She said in a statement: "I have enjoyed a long and rewarding relationship with Mountview, from attending performances, and mentoring students through masterclasses and also establishing the Elaine Paige Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, which helps fund a student's tuition." The singer, known for starring in the musicals Evita and Cats, added: "Supporting the training of the next generation of artists has always been deeply important to me, and being invited to serve as vice president further strengthens my connection to the academy's artistic leadership. "I am deeply honoured to accept this role and look forward to continuing my close and meaningful association with Mountview." Terera, who won an Olivier Award for his role in the Hamilton musical, graduated from the Mountview acting BA course in 1998. The 48-year-old, who also performed in The Book Of Mormon, was previously deputy chairman of the school's board. Mountview was founded as a theatre company in Crouch End, north London, and later offered part-time training courses. It relocated to Peckham in 2018 and offers courses including performance, production, directing and writing. Sally Ann Gritton, principal and chief executive of Mountview, said: "In this 80th birthday year we are joyfully celebrating Mountview's success and resilience by welcoming three extraordinary vice presidents to join us, supporting Dame Judi Dench, our illustrious president." She added: "As champions of our work and our ambitions Elaine Paige DBE, Eddie Marsan OBE and Giles Terera MBE epitomise the values of our world-class training. "During these times of struggle in the arts and education, we are more energised than ever to inspire our students to challenge the status quo, and we are looking forward to working with our vice presidents who collectively bring such a wealth of industry experience."
