‘Hamilton’ star on the pizza that changed his fate

I have a fond memory of being on Charing Cross Road on the day that Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. It was announced from the door of the South African embassy and there was this outburst of joy in the street. I’ve had dreams about it ever since.

Nine years later, I found myself back on Charing Cross Road. I was doing the young actor auditioning thing. I kept getting called back for the lead in ‘The Lion King’, which I wanted, but I just couldn’t sing the song. After the audition I felt terrible. I remember sitting sadly in a pizza chain on the road before my next audition that day, at the National Theatre.

I ended up getting that part and it shaped my career. So whenever I’m on the road now, I remember my dejected pizza stop and how it actually made me relaxed for the NT audition.

Now I walk down Charing Cross Road every day on my way to the National to film ‘Death of England’. It’s lined with amazing theatres and, round the corner, there’s Craven Street, where the real life Aaron Burr – who I played in ‘Hamilton’ – lived in the early nineteenth century. It’s interesting how it all pans out.

Giles Terera’s book ‘Hamilton and Me: An Actor’s Journal’ is out now.

Read more from this series:

Candice Carty-Williams reminisces about the Camberwell market of her childhood

Dane Baptiste on his first stand-up gig, in a London wine bar