Jersey actor goes from the Arts Centre and Opera House... to Hollywood

Jersey born actor James Wilkinson, who fell in love with drama in a school play and amateur productions at the Arts Centre and Opera House, is now staring in a Hollywood blockbuster.

James stars as Mekanek in the latest Masters of the Universe film, alongside A-listers Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Kristen Wiig and Jared Leto.

But, he started in a school play at Mont Nicolle primary school. He told Channel 103:

"It was my year four school play, and that was with Mr Marot, he cast me as the lead.

"In the play, I forgot my lines, and he repeated the same line I'd just said, back to me. I was playing an old man, so I remember saying 'I must be getting senile in my old age.

"I also did Arts Centre performances, Opera House, and the Eisteddfod."

Now, on starring alongside A-listers, he said:

"The reason people like that get to where they are is because of how hard they work; they're always humble, always on time.

"They're very talented, and are very easy and approachable to work with."

James is in the island this weekend for a screening of Masters of the Universe at Cineworld, where he watched a screening of his first film, at age 13.

He said:

"It's a really fun, full circle moment, it was an indie production called Fortress Island Films, and we did an indie epic about the fortresses and the German Occupation called 'The Secret.'

"My brother was in it, and my mum has a cameo."

After a childhood of enjoying sport alongside performing, he secured a place at the internationally renowned Bird Performing Arts College in London.

Once he graduated, he said his career path took him around the world doing singing and theatre gigs, and that he held roles as a cruise ship singer, rock-climbing instructor and trained to be a Universal Studios stunt performer.

He says his new role is perfect because he can combine his stunt training, and his acting:

"The costume is fully real and not CGI, but obviously the neck, I can't stretch my neck that far, so we sort of had to imagine!

"But all the motions in the fight scenes, is me, but we had to pretend where the neck would be.

"I was the one who roughed up Bergerac too..."

Now, in the 36-year-old's next project will see him team up with production company Sully & Cully in London and will star Jersey as an island.

He said he wants to put Jersey on the map.

A script has been written by Tom Dingle for 'Welcome to The Jungle', and he says Toms idea for filming here was an 'great idea':

"When you think of the fortified structures that we we have here, its amazing.

"[The film] is a weird dystopian future, war torn, places like Les Landes with the towers, and all the bunkers that have been left behind, it's the perfect backdrop."

They've received some funding after speaking to the Government and the Creative Islands partnership, and are hoping to start filming in September.

They are hoping to get islanders involved with it's filming, with the possibility of on-screen parts.