Third-year theology student James Ellis studies at Peterhouse. In 2012, he played Eddie in A View From the Bridge at the Corpus Playroom. He has gone on to play roles as various as Samuel Byck in Assassins at The Space at Edinburgh Fringe, Williamson in Glengarry Glen Ross, Cliff in Cabaret at the ADC, and Jerry in Betrayal, at the Corpus Playroom. He also directed this term’s week one ADC main show The History Boys.

How and why did you start acting at Cambridge?
I’d done lots of acting at school, but I spent my first term here crying because I was too nervous. Then my friend Jessie was producing A View From the Bridge and persuaded me to audition. I was fortunate enough to get a great part and work with some lovely, talented people. I just carried on from there.

What’s the most exciting thing about Frost/Nixon as a play?
In terms of our production, we are making it very ensemble-based which is something that isn’t done very often in Cambridge theatre. For me as an actor, being the first person to portray David Frost posthumously is amazing.

Which politician do you respect the most?
Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, for very different reasons. I think Churchill’s leadership of the country during the second world war is a great example of courage. Clement Attlee’s dedication to making healthcare a right rather than a privilege is amazing – you only have to look at the furore over healthcare in America now to see how incredible that was.

Do you think you would make a good politician? Why/ why not?
I think I’d be good at the public side of things – politics is to some degree an acting career – but I couldn’t stomach the underhandedness of it all. And the hatred. Is there anyone so hated as a politician? No, that’s not for me.

What’s the best production you’ve seen at Cambridge?
Bash at the Corpus Playroom. There was so much tension, and at points the monologues made you feel sick but it was wonderful to watch, really visceral and truthful. They really did justice to Neil LaBute’s fantastic script.

Which character have you most disliked playing in your time as an actor? Why?
It’s difficult to talk about a character I’ve disliked because you gain an affinity to every character you play. Certainly the most difficult part was Jerry in Pinter’s Betrayal. There is so much subtext in that play and I really struggled to get it right, but I still really enjoyed playing him.

What is one show you would really like to act in?
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Biff, what an incredible part.

Do you get stage fright, and if so, how do you cope with it?
Yes, sometimes. Generally I’m sick if I get it. Before the first performance of Assassins at the Edinburgh festival this year I was an absolute wreck and had to be looked after by our amazing producer Lily Parham. Generally though I take some time to myself to get calm and I’m fine – the moment before I go on stage it vanishes and I enjoy it all.

What is the nicest thing someone has said to you?
My friend Lauren described me as a very moral person once, that really stuck with me. And any time anyone has called me kind – kindness makes such a big difference to other people, so it’s something I try to be.

Tell us something you have learned during your time as an actor in Cambridge.
That you can always be better. When I came to Cambridge I thought I was brilliant. That was so arrogant and wrong! I have so much to learn, and a performance is never finished, you can always add something to it. I still have lots to learn as an actor.

Frost/Nixon is on at the ADC from 5th-9th November