IF someone had written a script where former St Augustine’s pupil Sam Otto would be touted as an acting star of tomorrow and be watched by millions on TV, he would have scarcely believed it.

“To go from quitting university to appearing in a Channel 4 ISIS drama, The State, headed by Bafta-winning director Peter Kosminsky in a few short years, is very hard to wrap my head around,” said Sam.

This success however has not happened overnight, despite the 25-year-old enjoying an extraordinary 2017.

In fact, the career path of Sam could have been oh so different, had he decided to complete his English and Philosophy degree at Southampton University.

“Funnily enough, leaving university after one year was probably the best decision I ever made,” said the former Trowbridge resident of nearly 10 years.

“I have always enjoyed performing, singing, playing the piano, doing sketches in front of my family with my brothers, but it was only when I got disillusioned at university, that I realised that acting was what I wanted to do.

“Acting had always been at the back of my mind though. I loved drama at school and Ms Porter in particular helped facilitate my applications towards drama school and was very supportive.

“When I began training as an actor at Drama Centre London, I never looked back. There was no guarantee it would pay off but I was ready to attack the acting world.”

That ‘attack’ came in the form of the powerful four-part series drama, The State, where Sam played the lead character Jalal – a teenager who became radicalised and joined the terrorist regime in Syria.

“It was unreal to be part of something that was really well received and had millions of people watching it – it was all so hard to believe it wasn’t a dream,” said Sam, who has also had small roles in David Hare’s Collateral for the BBC, another TV drama The Boy With The Top Knot and indie feature The Flood.

“We expected some sort of backlash as it was a very controversial topic to pursue but on the whole it was so good.

“So many people messaged me saying how moved they were by it. Someone from Aleppo, Syria, even got in touch and thanked me for telling the tale. That really brought it home for me.”

This, however, could just be the beginning.

Sam is hopeful that the Snowpiercer TV series will get picked up next year, which would mean he would film in Vancouver for a few months in the first half of 2018.

Oh, and he was also named as one of Screen International’s stars of tomorrow in October.

“I cannot say too much about it but if it gets picked up is going to be a wicked show,” he said.

“If it does go ahead, I will be acting alongside Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, be directed by Scott Derrickson who directed Marvel’s Dr Strange and work with writer Josh Friedman, who is working on the upcoming sequel to Avatar.

“To be named in the Stars of Tomorrow for the UK was such a shock. But I am not getting carried away. My brilliant family have taught me to be humble, grounded and to pursue my goals. It is all so exciting.”