Dominic Cooper was terrible student

Dominic Cooper is ashamed of his "appalling academic record".

The 35-year-old actor has discussed his relationship with his mother, who always encouraged him not to worry about what people thought of him. She also believed in his talent as an actor, with Dominic admitting his desire to be in the industry was probably a relief to her because he'd made little effort at school.

"I regret my own appalling academic record. I love learning now and love discovering. But then I just did not pay enough attention. Being in school plays saved me - and so did the encouragement of my mum," he told British newspaper The Sun.

"She believed in me and my acting, which I really needed at the time. Had it not been for that, I might have gone off the rails. My stepdad, Adrian, who has since died, was also an influence."

Dominic has three brothers, as well as a half-brother and half-sister. His parents split when he was five and he now realises his mother Julie shielded him from any nasty aspects of the breakup.

Looking back, he has only good memories of his childhood. He inherited a lot of things from his mother, such as his ability to completely misunderstand new technology.

"I remember when my eldest brother, Simon, was trekking in the Himalayas. He had access to a fax machine and my mum wrote him a ten-page letter. She put the letter in an envelope and then faxed the envelope to my brother. He had a printout of just the envelope," he laughed.

"Hilarious. But that is my mum - she laughs at herself and has taught me to laugh at myself too.”

Julie also made sure she never pried into her sons' lives, something which has stayed with Dominic. He always knew she trusted him, which is why he felt able to talk to her about anything.