Stormzy: Lead acting role was uncomfortable but I loved it

Stormzy says playing a rapper in his first lead role made it hard to separate himself for the part.

Big Mike stars as Tenzman in Big Man - the first release from the grime stars production company #MerkyFilm and his first lead role.

Speaking at the films premiere, he tells BBC Newsbeat: "It was really tough if Im honest.

"It felt like Im playing a rapper but I am a rapper, its tough to totally separate."

#MerkyFilm follows Stormzys other projects like #MerkyBooks and #MerkyFC which have aimed to elevate black British voices and talent.

"In every single area that weve tried to infiltrate weve said, if this is the status quo, we want to try and do things a little bit different," he says.

He says moving into film has been a dream of his for a long time - as for why hes waited until now, he says he cant describe it.

"I just know why its important in general," he says.

This year marks 10 years since actors started boycotting the biggest event in the film world, The Oscars, over criticism about a lack of diversity.

Since then, campaigns like #OscarsSoWhite have seen calls grow louder for improved representation on screen.

"What weve tried to do at Merky, whether its music, sports, whatever, we do we just want to stand in our truth, tell our stories, but also not from the same perspective that its always been told from," Stormzy says.

"Even being black British, its such a nuanced experience – youve got the black experience, youve got the British experience, and then youve got the black British experience.

"We want to tell it from our perspective which is nuanced, its brilliant, its different, its not always the same, its not a monolith."

One of Stormzys co-stars, 15-year-old Klevis Brahja, tells Newsbeat how he was scouted for the film on the street.

"I never knew I wanted to do acting and then out of nowhere Im in auditions," he says.

"Its crazy to be near someone like Stormzy and to have an opportunity like this. A lot of people dream for this and were the lucky ones, its amazing."

Stormzy also worked with Oscar-winning director Aneil Karia, known for projects including The Long Goodbye and Surge, on Big Man, which was shot entirely on a phone.

"It was really tough but it was a challenge I was so honoured to be a part of," Stormzy says.

"I like to be challenged, I like to be a bit uncomfortable so I love it."

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