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Rafe Spall sees comparing and competing as the same thing.
The British star comes from good acting stock, with his father Timothy an acclaimed thespian.
Rafe has been working in the business for nearly 15 years but has had a particularly successful 2014. His dad has also had a great year with J.M.W. Turner biopic Mr. Turner, and the younger actor often gets asked about their similar career paths.
“To compare yourself is to compete. I don’t view it like that because he’s my dad. I know what went into making Mr. Turner, the blood, sweat and tears. All I ever feel about his success is genuinely moved. My dad’s influence on my career has been a massively positive one,” Rafe smiled to British magazine The Big Issue.
“I’m in a privileged position to have one of the great actors of his generation as a mentor, aside from him being a wonderful father. To ask someone, does your father’s success make it difficult for you? It’s quite a profound question.”
Rafe is also a dad himself and has children Lena and Rex with his wife Elize du Toit. Christmas came early for their household with Rafe starring in festive flick Get Santa alongside Jim Broadbent.
The 31-year-old loves this time of year and encourages the idea of Christmas magic.
“It is because it’s about the fantasy of Christmas. Imagination is something that children develop first, it keeps you company as a kid, it’s the reason kids have imaginary friends. That idea of magic is something you lose as you get older, which is a shame. To me there’s nothing negative in believing in Santa Claus because that’s to believe in goodness," he explained.