Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Will Ward-Ambler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Will, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
I’m someone firmly believes that we make choices in life moment to moment day today.That we are doing the best we can do at the time. I was drawn to this question because I don’t live from a place of.’ I wish I had of…’ or ‘ if only I’d… Things would have been different.’
It’s also a relevant question to me because I began my creative expression as an artist and Actor in my mid to late 30s. My take is that the diverse personal and professional life experiences that I had prior to that time, and since then have been invaluable in deepening my craft and capacity to create meaningful and compelling work. I was a graduate in economics and worked in banking and finance for five years, including as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs in London. I worked also in sports sponsorship in the United Kingdom and in Melbourne before realising that the corporate world was not for me I always felt like a fish out of water.. this took me to going back to university and studying to become a teacher. Immersing myself into the world of young children and supporting them in their development, primarily in my role as a physical activity and mindfulness coach gave me meaning and purpose I have not experienced before. I found myself drawn to working with young people of disadvantage and at the margins,. I worked as an educator and coach in the not-for-profit sector with families and young people disadvantaged. Also worked as a high school teacher in a community school with teenagers who had gone through a number of schools and add difficult lives..
Alongside of that I developed a practice of meditation and yoga which took me to live and study at the world’s first yoga university and ashram in India for a year in my early 30s. I don’t shy away from the challenges of life, and my journey has been one of personal struggle at times, deep inquiry into myself, and my quest to be and feel fulfilled in the world.
So how did I become an actor? I had moved to a coastal artistic town in Australia and happened across a notice for a workshop training in clown theatre.. I immediately felt compelled to try this out, that led me to part-time Acting studies and to a passion for the art of acting and physical theatre.
In 2007 I took a big leap and moved from Australia to Northern California to study at the prestigious Dell A’rte international School for physical theatre, a full-time training and performance program for one year.
Upon returning to Australia in 2008 I knew that the path of becoming an actor was what I had to pursue.
My motivation has never been about becoming a star or wanting accolades. I like to think that this medium of self expression found me… It allows all the parts of Me to be expressed and to be seen. And that is what fulfilment means to me. If we can find something in the world that gives us meaning purpose and a sense of fullness when we are on track.
My life has taken me on many off-road journeys professionally and personally and today as a father and healthy man in his mid-50s I’m as driven as ever to keep creating and seeking fulfilment in my work.
The last 18 years I’ve been chipping away at my dream to work professionally as an actor, over that time I’ve consistently engaged in professional development and worked in a number of exciting projects across the spectrum of film television TV commercial and as a presenter.
I’m currently in the process of writing my first feature film as well and in finding a great deal of satisfaction in creating a story and taking control over my artistic expression.
I once heard Denzel Washington say something about obtaining his first key role in his career and becoming a 20 year overnight sensation. It really resonated with me.
Last three or four years have been fruitful in that my work has been recognised and I’ve been nominated for awards. I guess that’s helpful in terms of having access to bigger projects. And I want that.
The essence of why I do what I do remains the same and that each time I have a script to look at or sit down to write the next piece of my script, I feel that fulfilment and creative expression.
So getting back to the Primary question of would I change anything and wish to start earlier. It’s an absolute no. Life takes us on a journey and we arrive at where we are with everything that has come before us. My experiences in life prior to Acting and since have given me a deep pool of experience to work with, emotional depth, and a grounded maturity.
Could I become the next big thing and a star at 55, totally, it’s possible. Do I need that to be fulfilled? no. Do I believe I have the capacity to be consistent working Actor and hold my own in any production?, absolutely.
That’s what I keep working towards…
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
How I got into the industry really is kind of by accident I guess… I was seeking away to be creatively fulfilled and expressed and as I mentioned when I first saw that noticeboard about a workshop in clown theatre my whole being lit up. I knew I had to try it.
I believe what set me apart is my life experience and approach to what I do. It’s also the fact that I’m 55 youthful and as driven as ever. I’ve taken the road less travelled, have been unconventional and have worked through some significant personal challenges relating to mental health and addiction. I’ve been a businessman financial analyst, consultant, teacher, worker with young people in the not-for-profit sector, and a teacher with a deep empathy for working with people in need.
I think on some level we all want to be recognised for a contribution we make. The last three years I’ve had a number of projects receive award nominations. I was the lead role in a film that one at the Toronto International short film festival in 2022. In that year I also had a lead role in a film selected at the esteemed monster fest in Melbourne Australia. And last year I was fortunate enough to receive a global nomination as the best supporting actor at the 2024 British web awards for my role as a high school teacher in a period Shakespearean drama, Dark Arcadia, that was nominated and won awards globally.
What I’m proud of is that I continue to take small steps each day towards the things that light me up. Whether that be stretching every morning, sitting quietly and meditation, going to yoga class, taking time to write my script, audition for a role, or finding a great professional development class…. It all adds up.
I’m also a realist and I know that life can be challenging. It can be mundane and when you’re stuck in a job that isn’t fulfilling and you’ve just gotta find a way to get through the day and pay your bills.
The fact that life sometimes is a struggle and hard is also what inspires me to keep moving forward and finding even one thing in each day that I can do that feels good, because that is what a fulfilling. That’s the journey I’m on, to keep taking steps towards being fulfilled… And being an actor goes a long way towards that for me.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
This is an interesting question because I don’t believe in the simple division of people either being ‘creative or non-creative’. In my opinion Everyone has creativity in them.
I guess I understand this pretty well because I grew up in a business family and walked that path in my early professional years believing that was all there was.
It’s something that happens to a lot of
People., they need to get a job, they go to work every day and feel unfulfilled but trapped because they don’t know what else to do or have to pay the bills.
Did I have any inkling in my 20s that in my late 30s I would find a passion for Acting through physical theatre and training to be a clown? I was a frigging financial analyst for an American investment bank working in London!!
That’s why I think everyone should always pay attention to what makes them feel good? That doesn’t mean you can resign from your job and become a painter overnight or start your own business as a golf tour operator… Or whatever. But creativity for me is aligning with doing things that help you to feel filled up.
It’s an approach to problem-solving as well, doesn’t have to be a wholesale change in your life. Is there a way I can do something differently today? See what’s in front of me from a different angle?….
…. I think a lot of people have something they wish they had of done or deep down really want to give a try but have suppressed it or told themselves they can’t
Or are just scared. I think it’s helpful for all of us to ask ourselves what that thing is because that’s a spark of creativity that wants to come through each of us.
I think generally labelling ourselves as either being this or that is very limiting.
if we take the tiniest of small steps towards nurturing that then maybe the stereotype of either being creative or not creative can slowly dissolve.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I’ve sort of skirted around this a little bit but mental health and having an addictive personality significant challenges I’ve had to work with in my life.
It’s sort of hit me in my late 20s. I think I just breazed through life masking a lot of insecurity and low self-esteem and had suppressed my emotions my whole life.
There are so many ways we numb ourselves and I certainly used drugs to stop from feeling. mild depression And addictive tendencies are issue I still work with even today. For the last 25 years it’s been a journey of healing and self-acceptance for all of the parts of me, And it really isn’t as simple as finding a career path or a form of expression that makes you feel good… I’ve been in countless different forms of therapy over the years as a means to kind of arrive at some peace and self acceptance at a deeper level.
I belive we all need and long for connection and support. I’ve been blessed to have an amazing life filled with incredible experiences and not without challenge.
Im a 55year old dad to 2 amazing kids 11 and 9 who bring me so much joy and happiness. That seeking of fulfilment I’ve spoken about, I don’t think it ever stops. It’s a moment to moment practice. I’m still here, I’m gonna keep showing up and keep working towards that….im never giving up on that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm4883969/
