I saw [FINLEY WOODS] at a coffee shop in [MANHATTAN] today. I forgot how much [HE] looks like [SAM CLAFLIN]. They are a [THIRTY-ONE] year old [LIVE MUSIC VENUE OWNER] whoβs been in NYC for [A YEAR] now. Every time we run into each other, they are always [BIG-HEARTED AND ENERGETIC] but Iβve heard people say they can also be [RAMBUNCTIOUS AND DRAMATIC]. [THIS MUST BE THE PLACE (NAIVE MELODY) BY TALKING HEADS] reminds me of them every time it comes on the radio.
TW: death, drug use, bad parenting
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Finley was born in Norwich, England to his mother, Dawn (a paediatric nurse) and his father, an American blow-in who his mother had fallen head over heels for. His middle sister, Freya, was born three years later and little June followed when Freya was just one. Not long after Juneβs birth, their father walked out on Dawn and his three young children and returned to the States. They never saw him again.
The four of them made a tight-knit little family though. Dawn was hard-working and strove to give her kids the best life she could. In turn, Finley, Freya and Juneβs love for their mother (and one another) knew no bounds.
Though Finley grew up happy and loved and supported, the absence of his father (and any father-like figure) from his life could not be ignored. This manifested in attention-seeking behaviour from a young age, most of which was over-looked as he had always been pegged as the class clown.
Drama and literature were outlets for Finley who, despite his outward confidence and infectious humour, was rather insecure deep down. They allowed him to step into the shoes of others, to pretend to be a million different people. None of which were him.
As he grew older, his attention-seeking behaviour morphed into and played off substance addiction. Being one of the most popular boys in his cohort, he was never without access to copious amounts of alcohol and illicit substances to boot, nor without an invite to parties to consume them at. He was the life of the party, and it made him feel revered.
After sixth form, Finley moved to London to study acting while simultaneously picking up a few roles in theatre. He spent some time in NYC on off-off-(off?)-Broadway during 2009 and landed a couple of roles on the silver screen (most notably the infamous British soap opera, EastEnders) before ultimately deciding it wasnβt for him. He moved onto study a Bachelor of English Literature.
Following his Bachelorβs degree, he spent a year in New York City in 2017 obtaining his MA in Educational Theatre. He fell head-over-heels for teaching and despite how terrible a role-model he probably should seem, he actually made a rather fantastic teacher. Β He moved back to London at the end of 2017 to become a high school teacher in drama and English.
In December 2019, he received a letter from an estate lawyer breaking the news of his estranged fatherβs death and listing he and his sisters as the inheritors of a popular music venue his father had owned in Brooklyn, The Albion Theatre. Finley didnβt think twice about taking the reins (he never did). He had always been passionate about live music and to own a venue of his own sounded like a dream. He packed his bags, quit his teaching job in London and hopped over the pond to start another new chapter of his life in New York City.
He is currently living in Bushwick with his dog, Digby.Β Over the past few months he has been dating his best friend of twelve years, Aubrey Jennings, who he was harbouring feelings for for the better part of last year (and on-and-off for much of their friendship, but thatβs another story). They made things official in January.Β
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A giant kid at heart, Finleyβs energy and exuberance is boundless. He is up for just about anything, with anyone, at any point in time. He is loud, dramatic and boisterous. He is as colourful as the kitsch shirts he buys from charity shops. He likes to feel good and seeks out opportunties to do so without self-control or any regard for consequence. Now in his thirties, heβs both clinging to his youth harder than ever and learning how to redefine it.Β
He loves people. Adores them. And he is desperate for them to adore him back. Finley is the friend you lose at the bar, only to find him two hours later out in the smoking area, making fast friends with a complete stranger. He is warm and interested and enthusiastic, even if easily distracted.Β
Even though heβs not much of a musician himself (though he is rather talented on the egg shakers), music is Finleyβs life. Live music, in particular, is his passion. His favourite place to be is in a crowd at a music festival, with friends and like-minded strangers, singing out the chorus in unison.Β
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Friends β So many friends. Finley is a huge people person and, being the overgrown puppy that he is, he has many of them.
People heβs rubbed the wrong way β No matter how hard he tries to be, Finley is not everyoneβs cup of tea. Heβs loud, rambunctious and demands attention. He has a deep need to be liked, so anyone that he canβt win over is a sore point.
Employees of βThe Albionβ β Finleyβs the kind of boss that wants a gossip over a cup of tea and long smoke breaks on the rooftop together. He was rather wet behind the ears when he arrived, so his employees wouldβve needed to guide the way. Bonus points if they were working for his father.
Frequenters of βThe Albionβ β Despite owning the place, Finley is often floating around the crowd, dancing with old friends and making new ones. Anyone that shares his passion for music is someone he would love.
Fellow NYU graduates β He spent a year there in 2017 obtaining his Masters.
Good influences β Because letβs be honest, when is he not the bad influence?
Former flings β Finley is the sort of guy that falls in love every night and then out of it the next morning. Unsurprisingly, this has gotten him in trouble from time to time.Β
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