He probably thought he had gotten enough out of the program at Bristol Old Vic and didn't need to do the third year. Especially when TV & theater roles started coming in...

In hindsight it seems like he made the right decision. Missing that last year doesn't seem to have hurt him; his acting skill certainly isn't missing much of anything. I haven't any idea what drama school is like, but it wouldn't be like law or medical school where you have to finish the program or you can't get the certification you need to practice in your chosen field. But no, to answer your question Martina, I don't think he would have been able to graduate if he didn't complete the course. Our guy is a drop-out! ( )

As for Journey's End being the role that made him leave the BOVTS program, I'd never heard that before. I just knew he left the course early. And my impression is the same as Joan's: Suspicion came before JE or Piece of Cake or Wish Me Luck (I don't know about timing of theater roles but they were in there somewhere, too). Seems to me that Suspicion was such a tiny role he could have done it and still stayed in the BOVTS program.

Thanks for sharing that link, Martina. I always like to see how our man is perceived in different countries.