Johnny Vegas expresses regret over showbiz career: ‘I’ve cheated myself’
Johnny Vegas says he’d have gone into ceramics if he’d not done stand-up
- Johnny Vegas, the comedian and actor, has expressed regret over sidelining his passion for ceramics to pursue a career in stand-up comedy and acting.
- Vegas, real name Michael Joseph Pennington, studied ceramics at Middlesex University but turned to comedy in the Nineties after being disappointed with his degree results.
- He felt that not focusing on ceramics full time made him lose his creative edge, leading him to believe he had 'cheated himself' by neglecting his artistic pursuits.
- Rediscovering art later in life provided Vegas with a new sense of purpose, as highlighted in his Channel 4 documentary 'Art, ADHD & Me' and recent exhibitions.
- Vegas, who was diagnosed with ADHD at 52, credits ceramics and art with helping him manage his condition and understand his behavioural patterns.