Will Poulter: 'Drama is the only thing I have going for me'

Actor Will Poulter would probably be a failure if he had to pursue a profession outside of acting.

Most of Will's family members have jobs in the medical profession, as his father is a cardiology professor while the star's mother and sister are both nurses.

The 23-year-old is receiving loads of acclaim for his depiction of young fur trapper Jim Bridger in The Revenant and he is happy to be enjoying such great success in his career, because Will can't imagine doing anything else.

"They all do far more important jobs than me, and get a lot less attention and reward for it," he told UK newspaper The Independent, referring to his relatives. "Not that I could follow in their footsteps even if I wanted to – I didn't exactly have a host of amazing science grades. I had nothing else going for me at school. I lived for my one lesson of drama a week."

Will did not receive a higher education degree in the dramatic arts, as he preferred to learn his craft on the job. There is an ongoing inquiry within the entertainment community about whether actors with affluent backgrounds are given more opportunities than others in the industry who are less privileged, and Will is unsettled by this discussion.

"It's important to declare the fact that talent and privilege in the arts, there's no correlation between the two of them," he noted. "I don't (correlate them) because I didn't go to a drama school. I'd like to think that there's equal opportunity for everybody. (Though) I'm sure that's not the case."

Outside of career, Will is very focused on his personal life right now, as he is looking for a new place to live in the Chiswick area of London, near his family home.

Although he is excited about putting down roots, Will admits it's likely he won't get too settled there.

"I hate sitting on the sofa," he said. "It's what I'm worst at."