Jude Hill beat 300 other hopefuls to play Buddy, the boy in Kenneth Branagh’s film. The film is a glittering success – and so is the young actor whose career it launched
Amid all the scandals and controversies dogging Hollywood and the Oscars, a seemingly endless din of accusation and recrimination, talking to Jude Hill feels like a restorative balm. Instead of solemn critique, he reminds you the film industry can be about joy, fun, adventure and talented people doing something they love. He makes an encounter with Anthony Hopkins sound like a hug from a soft, giant teddy bear. This actor is a credible emissary of such outlandish tales because he has just spent a year working the Hollywood machine and emerged untouched by cynicism. It may help that he is 11 years old.
“This has been such a fun ride. I have met a bunch of really, really nice people along the way and I really hope I get to do more acting in the future. I can’t wait for it,” he says. Jude probably won’t have to wait long, given the plaudits for his star turn in Belfast, Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical homage to his home city.
