Christopher Lee Power grew up in Birkenhead, a child of the seventies and eighties, but it was not a carefree, happy childhood. In fact he remembers it as a troubling time when he felt misunderstood.
As a child, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, hyperactivity and problems with physical coordination, and even says he was put in a strait jacket and hospitalised because of his behavioural issues.
Coping with dyslexia has "been very, very difficult and I get frustrated", he says.
He recalls how as a child he would carry around a blank piece of paper and a pen to write down unfamiliar words and then look them up in the dictionary later. It was one way of improving his vocabulary.
However, some of the challenges of his youth were the result of poor choices. He admits he was a defiant teenager, and dabbling in illegal substances and drinking spiralled into painful addictions. He was ultimately sentenced to time in prison for petty crime.
Despite the unpromising start, Christopher got the break he desperately needed when God came into his life.
In 1987, he committed his life to Christ and after feeling called to acting, trained at the Lee Strasbourg School in London, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and Richmond Drama School. He has since had roles in Shakespeare productions and TV shows like Coronation Street, The Building of the Titanic, and Sky's Mystery Files.
His current projects include a British-made film called For Love's Sake, by Andrew Walkington, and another film inspired by his own life story, called Yesterday's Boy.
"I wanted to tell my story as honestly and openly as possible, to hopefully show that no matter where you start in life, that's not how you have to end up," he says.
"I make no excuses for my behaviour and I know I made wrong choices, but the important thing is I got back on the right track.
"I started believing in myself and trusting that maybe God had a better plan for me. I think that a film of this sort is needed in our world as we need to inspire people."
Life today as a married father and actor are a far cry from the unhappy years of his youth.
But Christopher feels he has learnt from these experiences and turned his wrong decisions into right ones. Now he is just relishing the platform God has given to him to inspire and encourage others.
"God has done great work in my life," he says. "God has given me the ability to stand in front of many people and speak about so many issues."
