Fans of Broadway's The History Boys might recognize the tall, large-eared actor of BBCAmerica's hot new show, "Being Human." Russell Tovey, an in-demand British performer known to TV audiences in the U.K., played slightly slow schoolboy Rudge in the Tony Award-winning History Boys (also in London and on film). The July U.S. debut of "Being Human" (already well-known abroad) helped earn BBCAmerica its highest ratings yet. Tovey — half character actor/half leading man — plays mild-mannered hospital worker George in the darkly comic series. Every full moon, George becomes a werewolf. The premise of the show has George sharing a Bristol flat with a vampire named Mitchell and a ghost named Annie. All three are trying to figure out how to control their natures — being human is a challenge.

According to BBCAmerica.com, Tovey once wanted to be a teacher, but after watching the film "Dead Poets Society" he looked toward acting. "There's a character in it and all he wants to do is play Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He's made to go and do other stuff instead, and in the end he kills himself — not that I was going to do that, but it was so inspiring. I just told my parents, 'That's what I want to do, act.'"

The first series of "Being Human" continues 9 PM (ET) Saturdays on BBCAmerica.

—Kenneth Jones