An Irvine teenage actor is excited for his first major movie to be released this weekend.
Jude Shedden, 13, is starring in the upcoming rom-com A Little Italian Vacation, directed by Ron Howard's protégé, Felipe Torres Urso.
The ambitious child actor from Girdle Toll has been working since he was three-years-old and starred in Harry Styles' music video 'Adore You' in 2019.
For the new blockbuster, the St Matthew's pupil played the role of Schmae and filmed his scenes in London and Italy when he was 10 years old but the pandemic derailed production and is set to be premiered this Saturday.
Jude shared a little bit of detail about the movie. He said: "It was a great experience, getting away from the usual Scottish weather.
"I really liked the script and the filming was awesome.
"All of the cast were welcoming because I was the only kid on set and the director was really helpful.
"Schmae definitely has a mouth, he is a funny character; I played him like a mini Robert De Niro."
Jude shared his thoughts on the upcoming movie release.
He said: "I'm really excited but a bit nervous as well. It kind of just hit me and I've got a big adrenaline rush about it. My main goal is to be an actor and I'm really proud of the work I did.
"I've changed a lot since filming; hearing my voice is so different. It's weird but really fun.
"My friends are buzzing because I have been telling them about the movie for three years now so they've been waiting for it for ages.
"They're all laughing because my voice is so different now compared to when I filmed it.
"Me and my mum are going to have a wee premier by ourselves and watch the film in the living room since we can't go anywhere. My dad is working abroad just now so he'll miss it but I can't wait to watch it with him when he gets back."
Proud mum, Michelle said: "Three years ago, Jude's agent sent the script over and he had to be off script by the next day. The role was earmarked for a teenager but Jude's really mature and tall for his age and a producer told us in Italy when they saw his audition tape they said; 'We've just found Schmae.'
"We're going to decorate the house as if he's at the cinema, he has worked really hard and he deserves for the night to be as magical as possible.
"Young actors spend so much time developing their skills and learning their lines. Jude worked incredibly hard, me and his dad Stephen are super proud of him.
"He's such a humble kid and would rather talk about what you're doing than what he's doing. It a nice quality and I hope that stays with him.
"Some of the language Jude uses in the movie did make me think 'Oh my goodness' but I was speaking to his agent the other day and she confided in me there were a lot of kids she couldn't put forward for the role because they weren't mature to film the scenes and not use that kind of language again and he's never used that language since.
"He's meant to act, it's just what he's meant to do."
A Little Italian Vacation tells the story of a group of high school seniors who juggle between old loves and new flings on the shores of a beautiful Italian town.
It will premiere on Saturday, March 20.
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