I was born in Osaka, Japan. It was 45 years ago. My father has a small factory in Osaka, and we lived next to his factory
Identity & self
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
195 answers answered between 1930 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
This is a standing question in The Guardian's decades-long The Q&A and also recurs independently in career and life interviews.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
On the record
Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.
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Seventy and beyond 25
Shinya Yamanaka
Stem cell biologist; Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 2012
Aidan Gillen
Irish actor
A stuntman. Evel Knievel was an icon.
Lucy Worsley
English historian
A spy, a witch and a nun.
Ashley Jensen
Scottish actress and narrator
I did want to be an actor from an early age although I briefly dabbled with the idea of being a vet until I realised you had to stick your hand up a cow’s arse.
Warwick Davis
English actor
I didn’t have a chance to want to be anything – I became an actor at 11.
Chris Hoy
British track cyclist, 1994–2013
Scotland’s rugby captain. My hero Gavin Hastings was captain when he came to our school for a training session when I was 10 or 11. I met him and was blown away.
Ralph Ineson
English actor and narrator
A Yorkshire cricketer, but I wasn’t good enough.
Emilia Fox
English actress and presenter
A cellist, inspired by my mum and dad’s friendship with Jacqueline du Pré, and seeing a documentary about her.
Sue Perkins
British actress, singer, writer and comedian
An eye surgeon. I had an operation on my cornea when I was little, and remember being deeply enamoured with the team who looked after me. Subsequently, I was very disappointed to learn that a degree of scientific aptitude was required for the job, which ruled me out.
Rose McGowan
American actress and activist
A mortician – I worked in a funeral home when I was 14.
Dominic West
English actor
I wanted to race cars.
Martin Freeman
English actor
I wanted to be a footballer and then a squash player – I was in with a chance because I was very good. But I fell out of love with that by 14 or 15 and joined a youth theatre.
Melissa McCarthy
American actress
I wanted to make women’s clothing. I also said that I wanted to be an artist; I don’t think I ever said I wanted to be an actress, but I remember thinking that would be fun.
Anna Friel
English actress
A barrister or a pop star.
Mathew Horne
English actor
I wanted to be a prosthetic makeup artist after watching A Nightmare On Elm Street.
David Gandy
British model
One of the Ghostbusters.
Katherine Parkinson
English actor
An astronaut. I still do.
Busta Rhymes
American rapper
I always wanted to be a rapper.
Serena Williams
United States professional tennis player, 1995–2022
A veterinarian.
Orlando Bloom
English actor
An actor or stuntman: I loved Lee Majors in The Fall Guy.
1 answer from members
@aliabbasi
builder
A pilot