00s child TV star from hit BBC series now looks completely unrecognisable

00s kid prima Gabriel Thomson looks worlds distant from the relation helium erstwhile played 24 years ago.

The Michael Harper histrion changeable to fame successful BBC sitcom My Family, which ran for 11 bid from 2000 to 2011.

He starred alongside Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker, who played his parents Ben and Susan, and his on-screen siblings Nick and Janey played by Death In Paradise’s Kris Marshall and Daniela Denby-Ashe.

Back successful 2000, the BBC besides reported that Gabriel astir had a accidental astatine beating Daniel Radcliffe to the relation of Harry Potter.

He had antecedently held roles successful the 1999 movie adaptation of Great Expectations and ITV play Painted Lady successful 1997, arsenic good arsenic starred alongside Jude Law and Rachel Weisz successful Enemy astatine the Gates.

However, aft his stint connected My Family, Gabriel took a measurement backmost from acting, and helium present looks precise different.

After a fewer diagnostic and abbreviated movie roles successful caller years, and a tally with the British Shakespeare Company, Gabriel moved connected to studying law, to beryllium a quality rights barrister.

He antecedently told FE Week: ‘I had grown up acting, beauteous overmuch falling into the relation connected My Family truthful erstwhile that finished I took a infinitesimal to inquire myself “Is this truly what I privation to bash for the remainder of my life? Is this my calling?”

‘There are truthful galore young actors retired determination that are truly passionate and truly privation to marque it and I deliberation that determination implicit the years I mislaid immoderate of that passion.’

The then-28-year-old had missed retired connected his A Levels owed to his acting career, but returned to acquisition astatine City and Islington College.

‘It was bully going from being a personage to a normal each time lad. It is bully to spell back and get stuck into thing completely different,’ helium said.

‘After the archetypal first daze of the different students seeing maine astir the assemblage and going “look it’s him from My Family”, nary 1 cared really, they conscionable got connected with it. We were each successful the aforesaid vessel truly to get to assemblage and everything else, truthful that was great.’

The prima besides keeps followers updated connected societal media, wherever helium often shares pictures and videos raising wealth for assorted charities by moving marathons.

In May, Gabriel ran 550 miles crossed Spain for the Red Cross, aiming for a marathon a day, and besides spoke astir his sobriety journey.

Alongside assorted clips of the journey, helium wrote: ‘I ne'er rather punctuated the extremity of my Camino de Santiago travel – truthful present we go!

‘I had an inexpressibly unthinkable clip moving the 550 miles of the Camino Frances crossed the northbound of Spain and on to Finisterre (the extremity of the earth!) and Muxía!

‘There’s nary constituent successful trying to enactment into words what the acquisition was like, ’cause I conscionable ain’t that eloquent and it’s each excessively immense and nebulous, but I tin accidental that I pushed myself to bash things I could ne'er person imagined oregon believed I was susceptible of conscionable a fewer years ago.

‘I met immoderate beauteous radical connected the way, and regularly encountered the benignant of selfless, quality kindness that reminded maine however overmuch goodness determination tin beryllium successful this satellite – a feeling which has possibly go little tangible arsenic I, similar many, person progressively recovered myself basing my estimation of humanity’s quality connected what I spot connected societal media oregon connected the news.

‘I saw truthful overmuch quality successful truthful galore antithetic forms and was fortunate capable to consciousness a benignant of state I deliberation 1 seldom gets the accidental to acquisition successful life.’

He went on: ‘I didn’t perceive to thing connected my headphones during the tally and truthful had a batch of clip to reflect! At times I thought astir however acold I’ve travel since each the miserable ‘1st runs back’ I utilized to find myself enduring aft months of stuffing my assemblage with each combustible/powdered/liquid poison I could compression into my lungs and bloodstream successful an effort to flight myself and reality; of however I’d routinely beryllium telling myself this would beryllium the implicit past clip I’d ever beryllium doing a painful, post-binge tally similar this 1 – until, of course, the adjacent one.

‘It’s been six years contiguous since I past had a portion oregon drug, and strangely capable I haven’t had to spell done a torturous tally similar that since! They’re conscionable an atrocious batch longer these days.’

Gabriel besides ran the London Marathon successful 2023, raising funds for the foundation Mind for those struggling with their intelligence health.

At the time, helium explained helium was doing it for his person Casper who sadly died by suicide.

Gabriel said: ‘Three years agone contiguous my beauteous friend, Casper, took his ain life. That idiosyncratic truthful warmly charismatic, intelligent, unconditionally caring, and who was loved truthful profoundly by truthful many, could ever find themselves feeling that unsocial and successful that overmuch despair, is an indescribable tragedy.

‘As idiosyncratic myself who has besides agelong experienced spells of depression, I cognize however important it is to person supportive organisations similar Mind determination successful your clip of need.’

In March, Gabriel besides shared a teaser for upcoming movie Hungry Like The Wolf, which helium stars successful and serves arsenic shaper and writer.

His different credits arsenic a kid prima see The New Adventures of Pinocchio and Night Wolf.

My Family is disposable to ticker connected BBC iPlayer.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a personage story, video oregon pictures get successful interaction with the Metro.co.uk amusement squad by emailing america [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 oregon by visiting our Submit Stuff leafage – we’d emotion to perceive from you.

MORE : Netflix fans convinced they’re ‘pregnant’ aft ‘best ever’ buss connected show

MORE : I ditched my iPhone for a Barbie flip telephone — goodbye Apple, hullo fabulous

MORE : ‘I played the villain successful Love Actually – it’s clip to overhaul my evil reputation’