How do you feel about the way things are going with the film?
"I guess I'm proud. The whole family's proud, but when I watch it, I'm the most critical person looking at my performance in the film. When I look at it I think 'do I look right there?' or 'why did I say that like that?', but other people have just complimented me. A lot of people have complimented me and Jimmy. A lot of people have said the film's going to be a success, but at the end of the day it's just good working with people like Robert Carlyle. "
Are there any links between the film and the way you've been brought up in school?
"I guess I'm proud. The whole family's proud, but when I watch it, I'm the most critical person looking at my performance in the film. When I look at it I think 'do I look right there?' or 'why did I say that like that?', but other people have just complimented me. A lot of people have complimented me and Jimmy. A lot of people have said the film's going to be a success, but at the end of the day it's just good working with people like Robert Carlyle."
You didn't go to drama school did you?
"I didn't even do theatre studies. I did nothing. I've just done GCSE's. Don't know how well I've done yet I haven't got them back, but I'm guaranteed an A in art."
I read an article saying that you're into music and also football, and it was said that you were the best thing to come out of Manchester since Oasis. How do you feel about that?
"It's flattering. There's a bit of pressure. My agent's got a football squad and I play for his team. We're playing Everton next week."
Where does the acting come now?
"The acting is the main priority now. Football's in my blood and I love football to bits but my agent, Simon, says that I can make a good living out of this. He says just to get your head down, concentrate and there's not a lot stopping you. Just be patient. Don't just take little T.V. roles, look for the good things to come along and try to keep to film. "
What age were you when you started modelling?
"I did modelling in school. Not the big modelling, I mean I would've had to pay for my portfolio and everything. It wasn't like 'wow! who's this kid?', I was just like every other person. Since we've had the film, every company's phoning me up, and it's like 'flippin 'eck!'."
What's your favourite film of all time?
"I like Braveheart (1996), but my favourite film would have to be Goodfellas (1990). I'd like to play that Joe Pesci or Robert De Niro type of role, the mean guy. Not the scally but just that gangster bad guy kind of role."
Has anyone asked you for your autograph yet?
"Just little kids really. When the girl magazines start coming out in the next couple of weeks, my agent says I'm going to start getting stopped in the street and it's like 'flippin 'eck!' It's flattering but I definitely don't want to be like the guy who takes his top off in magazines. When I'm in an interview, it's got to be genuine. I just say what I want to say, instead of fitting in and saying I love everyone, and that kind of person is totally fake. I want to be like the Oasis of acting, seeing what they've done for music in Manchester. I want people to know I'm from Manchester and want people to realise that I'm not from a public school. I've been raised in the streets and I just want to do my family proud."
With Robert Carlyle in the film, do you find the situation overwhelming?
"I was a bit star-struck at first. We went to the United testimonial when Cantona and Robson played. I was sat next to Robert Carlyle and everyone's coming up to him and thinking 'you're Robert Carlyle'. He was just speaking to me normally, and he's got respect for everyone. I was just looking at him and thinking 'flippin 'eck, Robert Carlyle!' He's dead easy to speak to. There wasn't any tension or anything like that."
Promoting the film around the country must take up a lot of your time.
"Yeah, but I'd rather be doing that than be in the house. I'm lucky to be doing that all day. "
What do your friends think?
"They're glad. They're not jealous. The only thing I got stick about was my hairdo! They're all sorted, everyone's happy for me. "
Given that this was your first film and it's surely going to be a big hit, you must feel very confident for your next role?
"I can never stop learning. There are so many things to learn. Just like football. You can't stop practicing and say 'right, I'm good enough now'. I'm going to have to learn accents because there aren't a lot of jobs for me in Manchester. Most people are going to think of me as a scally from Manchester and it's like 'no way!'."
Who do you look up to?
"Robert De Niro, James Dean. I just want to experience a lot of mature actors. I like commercial actors like Nicolas Cage and Brad Pitt, but I like the more serious actors with deep roles. The role that I do in the film is not to get my teeth into really. It doesn't show me having to cope with someone who's died or anything like that. That's what I want to do. "
You're good friends with Lewis McKenzie off set.
We're all from the same background. We're all sort of like street kids not really knowing what's going on. It was like "it's mint this. We're in a film!" Robert Carlyle, I think he would've been a scally when he was younger. He's got that scally about him! He's just a normal lad really.
You've done modelling and you're acting in this film. Do you think people would want to snap you up for songs?
"No, I don't want to get into that. Not that I've got anything against Adam Rickett, but I don't want to get into that! I want to be taken seriously and people to look at me as an actor even though I'm only 16. I want a lad of my age to say that "he's alright" and not like "look at him, he loves himself" because that's what I do most of the time!"
So are you now focusing on your schoolwork?
"I might go to college but I've been speaking to Bob (Robert Carlyle) and he said that he went to drama school for four years, and he spent the next four years unlearning everything they taught him. He's a good talent, but I might still go to college."
Have any of the other kids from your area been to Drama school or done any acting before
"Not really. When they say it's a low budget film, it is a low budget film! "
Have you had any offers for any up and coming films?
"Yes a couple, one is to be set in the East End of London so I'd have to brush up on my Cockney accent!!"
