Ruaridh Mollica is an actor right on the cusp of fame. Fans of indie cinema will recognise him from his breakout role in Mikko Mäkelä’s Sebastian, where Mollica played an aspiring young writer who delves into the world of sex work as research for his debut novel. Now, he makes his West End debut in Samuel D. Hunter’s Clarkston, taking on the role of Chris, a closeted young man working the night shift in a Costco warehouse.

The production sees Mollica acting opposite Heartstopper’s Joe Locke and theatre legend Sophie Melville. For some, it might be daunting to step onto the Trafalgar Theatre stage alongside actors whose CVs are double or triple the length of your own. But, as we quickly discovered, Mollica isn’t fazed in the slightest. Rarely have we met an actor so genuinely thrilled simply to be doing the work.

Everything seems to be aligning for Mollica to take the world by storm. He’s coy about some of his upcoming roles, which can only mean he’s been sworn to secrecy, but it’s clear big things are on the horizon. When Clarkston wraps in November, Mollica plans to take December off. It’s probably a wise move, because 2026 looks set to be his year.

Barry Pierce: Before we get into the play, I want to talk about your career up to this point. Where did this all begin for you?
Ruaridh Mollica: I guess it actually began when I was twelve. A couple of my friends at school were going to this youth theatre called Strange Town on Leith Walk. I think I must have just gone because they were there. I remember turning up with my mum, I’d not done any acting before, and there was a casting director there. I must have just looked a little bit like Mark Bonnar, because they asked me to audition for the role of his son in a BBC series called Case Histories. 

BP: That was surprisingly easy.
RM: It was the luckiest, luckiest thing. I booked that, and then this kids’ agency had a youth theatre attached to it, so I joined that. I continued to participate in youth theatre with my friends, and then I ended up doing a couple of small advertisements. I also appeared in an episode of a Scottish series, but nothing major. I remember thinking it was this fun, weird thing with all these people running around like mad. But I ended up applying to do computer science at uni.

BP: That is distinctly not acting.
RM: No, acting was literally never proposed as something I could do as a career. Not very many people in my family went to uni, and it’s free to go in Scotland, so how could I not go?

BP: But computer science?
RM: I was just good at it. I like problem-solving. In high school, I was always learning how to solve Rubik’s Cubes and I had this game with my friend where we’d try to remember as many digits of Pi as we could. I built my own gaming PC.

BP: Was it a case where you knew that acting is such a precarious profession that you were making sure that you always had something to fall back on?
RM: Yeah, totally. When I was younger and I was doing the paper round through all those really big houses around the botanical gardens in Edinburgh, I just kept thinking: “I really want one of those one day.” And I think I was just like, yeah, computer science. That’s a real job. But in my final year, I auditioned for a short film called Too Rough. And I booked it. It was only like three days. But I think deep inside, I knew I wanted to do acting. Doing that short film really awakened something inside of me. Like, the visceral joy of creating something.

“Doing [Too Rough] really awakened something inside of me. Like, the visceral joy of creating something.”

BP: Surely all of this isn’t that long ago?
RM: No, this was like, 2021. I had a mid-life crisis at twenty. [laughs] But then that short film I did went to South by Southwest, then it won a Scottish BAFTA, and then it won a British Independent Film Award – I was just like: “Oh, OK. Guess I’m here now.” But I didn’t book anything for a while. I did a variety of retail jobs across London and then I booked Sebastian. That’s when everything kind of changed.

BP: When did Clarkston come into your life?
RM: Maybe three months ago.

BP: Three months ago!? That’s insane.
RM: Yeah, not very long ago. My agent was like, “There’s this play happening. It’s on the West End. They want to see you for the character of Chris.” I had a week and a bit to prepare before I went in and had a chemistry read with Joe [Locke] and the director [Jack Serio]. I was shooting at the same time, so it was all very busy. But I did the chemistry read and it was great. It all clicked.

BP: Am I right in saying this is the first time you’ve acted on stage?
RM: Yeah. Or, well, I did one thing at the Brockley Jack Studio pub theatre, but my character was dead. [laughs]

BP: Well, a pub theatre is slightly different to the West End.
RM: Yeah, this has been the biggest learning curve. 

BP: Is it one of those situations where the best way to learn how to swim is to throw yourself in the water and swim?
RM: I think so. In the last month, and the 27 or something shows that we’ve done so far, I’ve learned so much about myself, the mental resilience of doing a play and the stamina you need. Just the concept of doing the same thing, every night. 

“I did one thing at the Brockley Jack Studio pub theatre, but my character was dead.”

BP: Tell me about Chris, the character you play in Clarkston. How did you approach him? How did you get into his mind?
RM: I found that some of the inspiration for almost every character I’ve done comes from Will Hunting in Good Will Hunting. He is a very good portrayal of someone who is stuck in his circumstances and wants something so much more. He’s deeply hurt but trying not to show it. I feel like a lot of my characters seem to be going through very troubled times. Chris is going through a lot, in terms of growing up, where he grew up and his own sexuality. His dad’s not in the picture and his mum’s an addict. He wants to be a writer but he’s sacrificed his dreams. There’s a massive lack of self-worth.

BP: What has it been like working opposite Joe Locke and Sophie Melville?
RM: It’s been great to have my first big theatre role be in such a small group. It helps that we love each other so much and that we get along so well, because most of the time it’s just me and Joe on the stage, so we really have to trust each other. 

BP: It would be kind of funny if you hated each other.
RM: Could you imagine!? That would be so awful. They’re both so talented. I know that if I miss a line, they’re going to be able to wrap it back around and we’ll stay on track. I think the only downside to being so close is sometimes we’ll accidentally make each other laugh on stage. There are little moments where something funny will happen and we’ll look in each other’s eyes – thinking: “Oh no, we absolutely cannot laugh right now.”

BP: You’ve literally just been nominated for a Scottish BAFTA for Sebastian. Tell me how that feels?
RM: It’s absolutely wild. The Scottish BAFTA is an award that has always seemed so special, because it’s like… Scotland, it’s home. That room is always filled with the warmest, most wonderful people, and to be nominated is absolutely bonkers. And I’m up against – no, not up against – I’m beautifully placed in the wonderful company of David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa and Peter Capaldi, like all the Scottish greats. I’m just like, yeah, I did one sexy film. [laughs] I’m so excited.

Clarkston runs at the Trafalgar Theatre until 22nd November. Find out more about the production here.