New film role puts Scots star Adam Sinclair on acting A-list, but his heart belongs in Arran

HE married into an acting dynasty, lives in LA, and has just walked the red carpet for his new movie, his first as a leading man.

But if Adam Sinclair's teachers back home in East Kilbride had had their way, he'd be working at the town's Rolls-Royce factory.

That's where he was sent on work experience after telling his careers teacher at Claremont High that he wanted to be an actor, after starring in school shows including Grease, when he played Danny.

Adam, 35, said: "At 14, I decided that was what I was going to do. My drama teacher said 'you're quite good at this, you could take this further' and I thought why not?

"I went to see my careers teacher and she said 'what do you want to do?', and I said 'I'm going to be an actor'. They sent me to Rolls-Royce for work experience. They told me not to be so silly."

But Adam didn't listen, and landed a place at the former RSAMD, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where other celebs including David Tennant first trod the boards.

After that, it was straight to London, where he started a career which has taken him from TV into films – and from EK to LA.

He lives in Culver City, Los Angeles, after marrying the step-daughter of 24 actor Kiefer Sutherland.

Adam got together with Michelle Kath, whose mum Camelia was married to Kiefer, while shooting his first film, To End All Wars, in Hawaii 10 years ago.

And while Kiefer, whose dad is acting legend Donald Sutherland, initially warned him to stay away from his daughter, he soon gave them his blessing, and subsequently brought Edinburgh to a standstill when the young couple married at the City Chambers in 2004.

Adam, said: "It was one of the best days of my life, second to having my children.

"There was all this chat about walking there through a network of tunnels and alleys, but we said let's just get our kilts on, walk and do it with pride. It was a great old day."

Adam, who has two sons, Quinn, one, and Hamish, seven, sees a lot of Kiefer, as he films his Sky One drama, Touch, close to his house.

And while he refuses to name any other celebrity pals, Adam says its actually actors from his childhood he's most excited to meet.

He said: "I think working with people like Andy Gray on TV show Boyz Unlimited I was more starstruck, as he was out of City Lights, than I was ever meeting Kiefer Sutherland."

There have been plenty of showbiz moments though.

Adam, said: "I remember going for an audition in one of the studio lots, and there was a bunch of people out on the grass going over lines.

"I thought 'oh they look a lot like the people in Friends.' It wasn't until I was five minutes past that I realised it was."

Adam's new film, Ecstasy, which is out now, is by the writer of Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh, and has its setting in the rave scene.

He plays the lead role of Lloyd in the movie, which is dubbed, "a twisted tale that explores the euphoric highs and the devastating lows of a chemical romance".

Until now, Adam's best-known role has been as camp cabin crew member Will O'Brien in Mile High.

He said: "It's my first lead in a movie. I've obviously done the TV shows for quite some time, from As If to Mile High. It's been very exciting.

"Everybody assumes it's about the drug, but it's about people trying to find their Ecstasy in life. It's a love story.

"Some people made some comments that it's a bit late in the day for this kind of movie, but it's not, because the point is it still goes on, but our characters are all a bit too old for it. We are the hangers-on from the 90s era."

Adam, whose dad Russell died of cancer last year, still returns to Westwood in East Kilbride to see his mum Georgina at least once a year.

However, he says the seamstress doesn't quite get what he does for a living.

He said: "I remember doing an interview for a paper in Scotland when I first got into television and they asked to speak to my mum.

"She told the paper acting was a little phase I was going through."

Adam, who also lived in The Murray and Whitehill areas of the town, also takes his family to Arran, where his dad's ashes are scattered.

"My heart's in Arran.

"My son, Hamish, seems to think that Scotland is all just jousting and castles.

"My brother lives in Linlithgow and we go though there as they have jousting events at the palace. For him it's some magical mystical place.

And despite celebrating his first leading film role, Adam says that he's no longer ambitious.

He said: "I achieved my ambitions when I was 21 and that was to become an actor. Everything from now on is a bonus. It's about providing for my family now."