Enzo Cilenti is an English actor and producer

He is known for his roles in works such as ‘The Theory of Everything’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Game of ‘Thrones. We caught up with Enzo to find out all about his time at BGS and how the school prepared him for such a successful future.

At BGS…

“I studied English Literature, French and German and did Drama, Rugby and Debating.

There are too many fond memories to mention. I loved my time at BGS and count the friendships I made there as the most significant in my life.

Since BGS…

“I studied French and Hispanic Studies at the University of Nottingham.

I did a one-year Postgraduate course in Acting after my degree. I was fortunate enough to start professional work fairly soon after graduation and, mercifully, it’s kept going for the last 17 years!

What is your biggest achievement to date?

“Not allowing the constant rejection to drive me to do something silly – like getting a real job.

How did Bradford Grammar School prepare you for further study/your career?

“The pastoral care of a number of the Masters and their commitment to that duty allowed a nascent drama culture to flourish. It is they who prepared me for what I am doing now.

In a scholastic sense, I was somewhat over-prepared. I didn’t find my degree as stimulating as I had imagined or hoped (other than the year abroad) and I lost interest. In the early ‘90s going to what was then a polytechnic was not what BGS expected of its pupils nor, necessarily, did it want its pupils to read unconventional subjects at a tertiary level. I wasn’t, for example, encouraged to do anything other than study languages when it was obvious to anyone (teachers included) that my passion was for drama.

In today’s culture, that’s unthinkable, but that was very much the atmosphere and environment then. It’s very different now of course! I will say that personalities were encouraged and valued highly and within that environment I was allowed to flourish as a person, which I hope helped give me the confidence to decide that my degree course wasn’t for me and to pursue an extremely risky career path.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

“Make hay while the sun shines.