Cage Fighting
An interview with local actor and Mixed Martial Arts specialist Francis Saunders
Q: Francis, you’ve had a remarkable journey. How would you describe your life in one sentence?
A: A life of fighting – sometimes in a cage, sometimes on a stage, and sometimes just trying to survive long enough to find my purpose.
Q: Before acting and filmmaking, there was cage fighting. What drew you to MMA [Mixed Martial Arts]?
A: I think fighting found me before I found it. Growing up, life was chaotic. MMA gave me discipline, structure, and somewhere to put all that anger and confusion. When I stepped into a cage, there were no excuses, no hiding places. It was just you, your courage, and your preparation.
Q: What did fighting teach you?
A: That toughness isn’t about throwing punches. It’s about getting back up when life knocks you down. The real fight starts after the crowd goes home. That’s true in sport, relationships, business, and life.
Q: You’ve spoken openly about a difficult childhood. How did that shape the man you became?
A: For a long time I carried pain, abandonment, and anger. But eventually I realised you can either become a victim of your past or use it as fuel. I chose to use it as fuel. The experiences that nearly broke me became the stories I now tell.
Q: How did acting enter your life?
A: As a child I escaped into stories. Television, films, books – I could disappear into another world. Acting allowed me to channel emotions I’d never really spoken about. On stage I found a voice.
Q: Many people know you from your theatre work. What do you love about the stage?
A: The honesty. You can’t hide in theatre. There’s no second take. It’s you, the audience, and the truth. When a room falls silent because people genuinely connect with what you’re saying, that’s magic.
Q: Your work often focuses on men’s mental health. Why?
A: Because too many men suffer in silence. We tell boys to be tough, but we rarely teach them how to be vulnerable. Projects like Monologues of Men exist because conversations can save lives. Sometimes hearing another man’s truth gives someone permission to tell their own.
Q: You’ve moved into filmmaking as well. What excites you about film?
A: Film allows stories to travel. A play might reach a few hundred people. A film can reach millions. I love finding stories that matter – stories about ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges.
Q: What has been your proudest achievement?
A: My sons. Without question. Careers come and go. Awards gather dust. Being a father is the thing I’m most proud of.
Q: You’ve had success in sport, acting and producing. What drives you now?
A: Purpose. Not fame. Not money. Purpose. I want to create work that leaves people feeling less alone than they did when they walked into the theatre or switched on the television.
Q: Looking back, what would you say to the young Francis who felt lost?
A: I’d tell him this: “One day the things that hurt you most will become the things that help other people heal. Keep going. Don’t quit. The story isn’t over yet.”
Q: Finally, what does success mean to you today?
A: Success is simple. It’s being able to look in the mirror and know you’ve stayed true to yourself. It’s having people you love around you. It’s waking up with another story to tell and another reason to keep moving forward.
I’ve fought in cages. I’ve stood on stages. I’ve made films. I’ve failed, succeeded, fallen apart and started again. And if life has taught me anything, it’s this: nobody is coming to save you. But that’s okay. Because you’re stronger than you think.
Quotes from Dean Stalham’s play God Don’t Live on a Council Estate
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