When Michael Socha first became interested in acting, he didn’t want anyone else to know. Despite regularly skipping school as a child in Derby, Socha leapt at the chance to audition for its production of Bugsy Malone – one of his favourite films. Socha’s terrible attendance meant he didn’t get it. But this rejection was enough to spur him on to try out for the Chellaston Youth Players, a local theatre group, who were putting on their own version of the 1976 musical. 

“I auditioned. I got Bugsy and ended up doing a play in Derby. I loved it,” Socha tells Luxury London over Zoom. But while Socha insists he thoroughly enjoyed working alongside kids that he “didn’t really have anything else in common with,” he still felt a little uneasy because he wasn’t “from the world of acting.”

So much so that when a girl from his school joined Chellaston Youth Players his first thought was, “please don’t say ‘owt at school”. Eventually Socha became more comfortable with being an actor. At the age of 14 he joined Nottingham’s prestigious Central Junior Television Workshop – a free acting training programme for working class teens, where the likes of Vicky McClure, Toby Kebbell, and Samantha Morton learned their trade. “That’s where I met like-minded people from my own background and the two worlds met.”

Socha had his breakthrough in Shane Meadows’ searing coming-of-age drama This Is England, while over the years since he’s appeared in its follow-up series This Is England ’86 and ‘90, Being Human, Once Upon A Time, Chernobyl, The Gallows Pole, and Toxic Town. Socha can currently be seen in The Cage alongside Sheridan Smith, a BBC crime thriller about two casino workers who realise that they’re both plotting to steal the same safe.

It was director Al Mackay that initially approached Socha about the show. “I first met him on This Is England. I think he was a runner. Since then I’ve done his short films. We’ve kept in contact. We’re good friends.” As soon as Socha read the scripts from Tony Schumacher – who previously received acclaim for the police procedural The Responder – he was determined to land the role of Matty. 

“Tony’s writing is incredible. He just writes these layered, amazing characters that you really want to get onboard with. They’re good people, who sometimes do bad things, but with good intentions. I was just really keen to play Matty.” Socha describes his character as an alcoholic and drug addict in massive debt who leads with his heart and keeps getting kicked down, but works tirelessly to try and change his situation. 

It was at the Central Junior Television Workshop that Socha discovered how much work he’d have to put in to make acting his profession. He changed his lifestyle, became more disciplined, and focused on his craft. Soon he started to get parts in commercials, plays, then television shows and films. Only over the last few years has Socha really begun to appreciate the impact acting has had on his life.

“There were so many paths I could have gone down. Getting the opportunity as an adolescent to lose your s*** on stage, when if I did it in real life I’d have got locked up […] it was a very necessary outlet when I was a kid.” Socha continues on this trip down memory lane, admitting he was always a creative child. On the rare occasions when he was at school, he loved writing and studying poetry but – out of embarrassment – didn’t explore them as fervently as he could have. 

“Eventually I stopped being embarrassed of enjoying that stuff. Having that emotional, artistic, and creative outlet is so beneficial. It allowed me to express myself. I’ve tried to carry that feeling throughout my career. I always draw on my own emotions and personality because I think people have loads of different versions of themselves.” 

Socha has been joined on this creative exploration of himself by his younger sister Lauren. Not only did she join him at the Central Junior Television Workshop, she shot to prominence and earned a BAFTA for her work in the TV sci-fi comedy Misfits. Socha insists there’s never been any jealousy between the pair, instead they’re both “buzzing for anybody who manages to carve a career out in this industry.” He adds: “I don’t have any rivalry with anybody. When I watch actors I just get impressed, inspired, and spurred on. I’m always looking to try and figure out what it is about a performance that I love.”

Getting the chance to collaborate with Smith, and see why The Royle Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, and Cilla actress shines on screen so brightly, was another reason why Socha was attracted to The Cage. Socha has known Smith – who was already attached as both an executive producer and as the co-lead Leanne – for years, but had never worked with her. She didn’t disappoint. “It was a joy to watch someone who’s really good at what they do be so brilliant up close.”

While Socha has received his own share of plaudits over the last two decades for his gritty yet heartfelt portrayals, he insists his approach to his career has not and will not change. “It’s really whether I like the script or not. It’s as simple as that. I’ve been really happy with what I’ve managed to do. There’s no character or script I’ve been dying to do.” 

Ultimately, Socha still feels fortunate to even be approached for roles, let alone thriving. “I’m so f***ing lucky. I’m really grateful. I love what I do. Just having this career, I’m very fortunate. I don’t have any other aspirations because of that.”

The Cage is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.

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