Gamba Cole inspired by Bristol slang and accent for TV role

An actor starring in a new Stephen Merchant series has shared how he drew inspiration from his birthplace for his character.

Bristol-born Gamba Cole stars in the new BBC One series, The Outlaws.

Cole said: "I drew so many parallels from my character in my life, being a young black male and growing up in Bristol."

He has so far worked with actors Freida Pinto and Samuel L Jackson in feature films and TV series.

"My character is also a security guard and I used to be a security guard," he added.

The show previously called The Offenders premiered in Bristol on Monday.

The series follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are brought together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol.

"I was born in Bristol and have family there, so frequently go there.

"I've got a lot of friends and family in Bristol, so I looked to them for inspiration for my character.

"I looked at how they dressed and listened to their accents, the body language and the slang," he said.

Filming for the series took place in February on location in Bristol as well as at the Bottle Yard Studios in the city.

"It's so vibrant and beautiful this city.

"It's a culturally diverse place. Being from St Pauls, there is an energy there and for me, before I started filming it was important to go back there and spend time," he said.

Although he is in the early stages of his career he has already worked across a range of different genres including A Discovery of Witches in which he starred opposite Matthew Goode and Guerrilla alongside Idris Elba and Freida Pinto.

His film credits include The Protégé in which he starred with Samuel L Jackson and Michael Keaton.

Cole, who plays the role of Christian in the series, described working with the writer and comedian as "an absolute joy".

"Stephen Merchant is absolutely hilarious, we'll do takes and he'll make something up on the spot and it's hard not to laugh.

"He is so much fun and is so generous with his time," he added.

His interest and passion for acting as a profession grew while he studied a BTEC in performing arts at Richmond-upon-Thames College, London.

"I fell in love with performance and decided to take this up as a career. I was actually thinking of going into football at the time."

In 2014 he "made a list of things he wanted to do" and started to push to make his dream of acting come true.

"I want to create my own legacy and improve as an artist and actor," he said.

He is now urging other budding actors to explore different avenues to develop their craft.

"Make use of social media platforms out there to make a name for yourself - don't underestimate their power."

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