Last updated at 12:50 PM on 13th January 2012
A petty criminal plucked from the dole queue to play the first black Heathcliff in a multi-million-pound film of Wuthering Heights yesterday admitted he may have blown his chances of further success.
Troubled James Howson, 24, faces jail after he confessed to racially abusing his former lover and the mother of his three-month-old daughter.
Just two months ago former drug addict Howson was rubbing shoulders with Hollywood stars George Clooney and Kate Winslet at the Venice Film Festival.
Facing jail: Actor James Howson has admitted racially aggravated harassment of his former girlfriend, with whom he has a child
But while gathering acting plaudits in public, he was privately going through an anguished break-up with his Asian girlfriend of three years Shakira Ramdihal, 23, who was pregnant with their child.
Howson is now awaiting sentence after he pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment between 25 August and 22 November last year.
He admitted bombarding Miss Ramdihal with vicious text messages and making unwelcome visits to her red-brick terraced home in the Chapeltown area of Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Leeds Magistrates' Court heard that despite the success of Wuthering Heights, Howson is now living off £78 Jobseekers' Allowance a fortnight and the acting roles have dried up.
Prosecutor Sarah Collett said Howson has a three-month-old daughter with Miss Ramdihal, who lives with her mother and sister.
The relationship began to deteriorate after Miss Ramdihal fell pregnant in December 2010.
'Arguments began to escalate and he went to the house banging on windows and walls,' said Mrs Collett.
'When his child was born he was denied access to the maternity ward due to his aggressive behaviour.'
When his ex and her mother Bernadette refused to let him see the baby, Howson blasted them with racist abuse.
'I will smash your head against the wall and there will be no baby...you f****** Paki b*****s,' he said.
He also sent text messages to the complainant stating: 'You little Paki slut. If I catch you I'm going to kill you.'
A taste of success: James Howson on the red carpet with his Wuthering Heights co-star Kaya Scodelario
The bench heard Howson landed the role of brooding Heathcliff after he attended auditions advertised on a JobCentre wall for the latest big screen adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel.
He was paid £7,800 for the six weeks of filming, which took place in the village of Thwaite, North Yorkshire, last year.
His highlight was being flown with the cast to the Venice Film Festival, where the film had its premiere.
Yesterday, Howson said: 'The Heathcliff role was going to be a one off, but I was just getting my head round doing more acting and going on from the opportunity I was given - now I think I might have blown it.
'The acting has been to blame for this breakdown with my girlfriend and it has turned her head.
'I feel I have really been acting all my life, acting to fit into society.
'But the acting life got into this girl Shakira's mind and she was latching on to my friends.'
Brooding: Howson's performance as Heathcliff won him plaudits, but no further acting work has materialised
He said the pair met at Addicts Anonymous a few years ago when they both had drug problems.
'Rather than be good for me, Shakira has pulled me down and wrecked my life,' Howson said.
Defence lawyer Anthony Sugare told magistrates: 'He made wild and idle threats and never intended to harm either her or the child.'
'He was plucked out of a JobCentre to take part in Wuthering Heights just over a year ago.
'Having come from such a troubled background, and having being successful in the part he played, there has been no work since then.'
Sentencing was adjourned until 6 February, and the Probation Service will prepare reports on Howson.
Bench chairman Julian Jacobs told him: 'These matters are so serious that we are requesting full pre-sentence reports, which may include custody.'
Source : dailymail
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