THERE'S little doubt James McArdle is the hottest young actor to come out of Scotland since James McAvoy.

Not only is James McArdle one of the stars of new ITV family relationship drama Love and Marriage, in which he stars alongside the likes of Alison Steadman and Ashley Jensen, he's also achieved great acclaim at the RSC with Macbeth, starred in the West End in Chariots of Fire, and is set to appear the line up in upcoming BBC drama drama The Assasination of Franz Ferdinand.

But when the 23-year-old tells the story of how he walked away from finishing his RADA degree course, there's a concern.

Is this a young man who should turn down the self-awareness switch a couple of degrees?

Having dreamt of attending RADA as a 14-year-old schoolboy living in Darnley in the South Side of Glasgow, McArdle quit before finishing his course.

"Drama school can distil your talent," he says speaking from a train compartment heading out of Manchester where he's been filming.

"But what's the point of a degree in acting? You learn the basic skills at drama college and that's great, but what's the need for the certificate?"

It's hard to argue his point. He may not have the piece of paper, but he certainly had the self-belief and the talent to race forward in his career.

He wasn't snubbing RADA, he simply believed the final hurdle to be pointless. And he'd already landed the role of Malcolm in Macbeth in his graduation year.

But the confidence he now displays wasn't always in abundance.

"Actors are often an odd mix of the introvert and the extrovert," her says.

"I would stand up and tell stories as a kid but socially I was introverted. One year, as a birthday present I was sent to Pace Theatre School in Paisley, and it was life- changing."

In conversation, he continually credits his Pace drama teacher, Mhari Gilbert, with creating his acting potential.

"When I was 14, she took a group down to Stratford to see Matthew MacFadyen play Romeo," he said.

"And I knew then I would go to RADA. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. But it was Mhari who gave me the confidence."

He adds, grinning: "I think you are born an actor, but Mhari in fact she encouraged me to be cheeky, to have the drive, or arrogance if you want to call it that. The thing is, casting directors pick up on that.

"But what she also did was simplify the acting process for me. And now, when I'm struggling with a scene or I'm not sure about a part I'm playing, I do think back to what she taught me, of how to keep the acting pure."

When he was 17, he got the money together to take a Megabus to London.

He didn't tell his parents he was going down for a RADA interview because he 'was scared to tell them how much the trip cost'.

To say the interview was a disaster would be an understatement.

"I totally messed up my 'To be, or not to be ...' I was so nervous," he said.

"As I left the building and walked into Good Street, I knew I'd failed, but then I had a thought; I'd go back and do it again.

"So I walked into the building, told the receptionist I'd left my bag behind and went back to the audition room where the interviewers were now having soup.

"I said to them, 'Carry on with your soup, and I'll just do my speech again'."

And he was accepted of course. The dream was fulfilled. Then when he figured he'd learned enough, he walked out the door and into some incredible roles.

"My really big break was my second job in the play Spur Of The Moment at the Royal Court, the story of a 21-year-old, who has an affair with a 12-year-old girl," he said.

"That was demanding. The actress who played the schoolgirl was in fact 18, but in rehearsals I found myself snogging a girl in a school uniform. It was weird. But it's a terrific play about the sexualisation of young girls, and the twist was that she was the predator."

James went on to appear in Chichester, again to great reviews in A Month In The Country.

Television came calling with Love and Marriage, and again his character is involved in age-gap romance. He plays Charlie, a Scottish fireman who is involved with older-woman.

"I've been so lucky landing the roles I have," he says.

"Alison Steadman has always been a hero of mine and I couldn't believe it when she actually came to see Chariots of Fire. Imagine, Alison Steadman watching me. And I just loved working alongside Ashley Jensen."

He adds, laughing; "Although at times it was too much fun. Sometimes when we were improvising we'd just laugh at each other."

n Love and Marriage, ITV, tomorrow, 9pm.