English-born Tom Hopper cultivated his acting career on the stage, starting out in work in theatre. He attended the Rose Bruford College to study acting. While in school at Rose Bruford, his theatrical roles included The Tempest, The Way of the World, Colliers Friday Night and Festen. His screen appearances began in 2007 starting on Casualty (1986) (TV), Saxon (2007) and in 2010 on Doctor Who (2010) (TV). In 2011, he was cast in perhaps his most notable screen role as the valiant knight Sir Percival, the strongman on the BBC fantasy series Merlin (2008) (TV).