Lothians teenage actor makes A-list for new film

NOT many teenagers can say they celebrated their 18th birthday out on the town in Italy with Anna Friel and Rhys Ifans.

But one budding young actor from the Capital is hoping that mingling with Hollywood A-listers will soon become the norm for him as he breaks into the film industry.

Lorn Macdonald will make his silver screen debut on Sky Movies this Friday in Neverland, a two-part fantasy adventure telling the story of how Peter Pan became the boy who never grew up.

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Lorn, 19, plays the part of Fox, the main Lost Boy who Peter Pan looks to as an older brother and best friend.

The teenager, who went to Broughton High School, spent two months filming Neverland last year in Dublin and Genoa, Italy, working with top actors including Ifans, Friel, Charles Dance, Bob Hoskins, Charlie Rowe and Keira Knightley.

Lorn said: “I basically had an amazing holiday, worked with amazing actors and got paid for it, so it wasn’t too shabby. I had scenes with all the main actors.

“There were lots of opportunities to socialise with them while we were on set. We were in Italy filming when it was my 18th birthday.

“Because I wanted to go out, Rhys and Anna took me for a night out in Italy, which was probably the most surreal experience of my life.”

He added: “I have Anna Friel’s phone number but I have never rung it because I’m too scared!”

Lorn was chosen for the part of Fox after a casting director from a previous audition remembered him and invited him down to London to try for the part.

Although experienced in theatre productions, having been a member of Lyceum Youth Theatre, Neverland is his first break into the world of film.

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The teenager was treated like one of the celebrities he was working with during filming, and was even stopped by people wanting his photograph and autograph.

Since last year, Lorn has been going up and down to London for auditions and is working on some solo projects of his own, including making music videos for up-and-coming Scottish bands. He plans to apply to drama school next year.

He added: ““Hopefully this will lead to bigger and better things.”

Neverland will be shown this Friday and next, with Lorn and his family tuning in to watch it for the first time.

His dad, Peter Macdonald, who lives in Prestonpans, said: “We are scrambling to find out how we are going to see it because we don’t actually have Sky.

“It was very exciting at the time when he was doing the filming. Acting is a very precarious business but it’s what he wants to do and he has a very impressive CV.”

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