HE SURVIVED two near-fatal car accidents, a battle with addiction and living on the streets of Southampton.

Now Scott Rose-Marsh is fulfilling his "destiny" of being an actor – with his career moving from strength to strength.

The 33-year-old is most well-known for his roles in BBC One's drama Chloe, Stephen Merchant's comedy The Outlaws and Welsh drama, Yr Amgueddfa.

His latest performance is alongside Hollywood's Stephen Moyer in a film about the Kray twins, called Krays: Code of Silence.

But Rose-Marsh's life was not always as glamorous as his acting appearances may suggest.

The former Woodlands College student spent his 21st birthday in the Priory unit, Marchwood, to treat addiction and depression.

He also nearly died in two car accidents as a child.

"In 1989 when when I was eighteen months old I got into the back of my father's London style taxi and sat on my mother's lap to attend a routine hospital appointment," he explained.

"This was back when seatbelts we're not a legal requirement. During the journey my father at some point slammed his breaks for an emergency stop. I flew off my mother's lap at full force into the glass screen inside the cab.

"Left almost lifeless, covered in blood and my parents thinking I was dead. I was rushed to hospital.

"I suffered horrific injuries that lead to an enormous scar across my forehead.

"A scar that caused humiliation and bullying as a child which later set me up to play evil and menacing TV and film roles."

Rose-Marsh visits Southampton almost every week to see his two children who live in Thornhill.

His mum is a Sholing resident, and his dad is in West End.

"I had a fairly normal childhood in a council estate in Southampton and growing up with my older brother," the Wales-based actor added.

"I had an urge my from a young age to be an actor. I applied to study theatre at the Brit school in Croydon.

"Every teacher in my school told me I would never get in and that I should focus on my GCSE's.

"After getting through the first stage of the application, I was invited to attend the Brit school for some workshops and an audition.

"On December 12, 2003 on my way home from my audition, I was again involved in another horrific car accident.

"Weirdly two pinnacle moments in my life: the first car crash that made a scar which gives me the look for these villain roles and the second on the way home from an audition to join the best drama school in the country."

Follow Scott on Twitter at twitter.com/scottrosemarsh