A Year 10 Highgate pupil is currently appearing at a cinema near you, playing the lead in fantasy adventure The Kid Who Would Be King.
Talking about his experience on set, Louis said: ‘Landing the role of Alex was brilliant. Not only was it a great character to play, but I also learned to horse ride and sword-fight with the some of the best trainers in the country. We started the shoot in Cornwall where we filmed at Tintagel Castle, the home of King Arthur, which was a real privilege.
‘Filming days were generally long with an early start for make-up and costume. After we would rehearse a scene with Joe Cornish, our brilliant director, and then, when the crew were ready, shoot the same scene many times over from different angles.’
Yet, for Louis, each day on set also included study time, so he could keep up with his schoolwork. He explains: ‘Every day was different and fun but really busy as, when we were not filming, I would, reluctantly, go for tutoring. Although I wasn’t at Highgate every day, I still had at least three hours of lessons to do! My teachers from Highgate were really organised and gave me specific work to cover so I didn’t fall behind. It was sometimes a challenge because, once I started filming a scene, I just wanted the satisfaction of completing it!’
Louis added: ‘I’m really lucky because Highgate has always been very encouraging and supportive of my interest in acting. Settling back into normal school life has been surprisingly easy and, while I made new friends on the job, it has been great to get back into the routine of school and spend time with my mates.’
The Kid Who Would Be King is a modern take on the King Arthur legend, with Louis’s character, Alex, finding the mythical Sword in the Stone. He must then unite his friends and enemies to defeat an evil sorceress, played by Rebecca Ferguson, with help from Patrick Stewart as the wizard, Merlin. The Kid Who Would Be King is currently showing at cinemas across the UK. VG
