A TEN-YEAR-OLD schoolboy is starring in more than the nativity this year with a leading role in the must-see Christmas family film of 2014, 'Get Santa'.
Kit Connor, a year six pupil at the Hayes Primary School, Kenley, acts alongside Jim Broadbent and Warwick Davis in the upcoming festive flick.
Kit's character, Tom, finds Santa (Broadbent) sheltering in his garden shed after crashing his sleigh.
After Santa is arrested trying to free his reindeer for Bettersea Dogs Home Tom and his dad, Steve (Rafe Spall), have to free him from prison and save Christmas.
On Saturday (November 29) Kit cut the ribbon to open the Hayes Primary Christmas fair – the day before the Get Santa London premier.
Christ cam early for Kit this year when he started seven weeks of filming Get Santa in January.
"It was really exciting," said Kit. "It was quite weird because I was face to face with Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall and Warwick Davis. But they were really nice, especially Jim Broadbent.
"My favourite bit was doing lots of green screen. I was put on wires and I was flying and it was really amazing.
"We were working with reindeers and one of them had an antler. Rafe Spall walked in front of the reindeer and then stopped and the reindeer just went straight into his bottom. That was really funny, but it was quite painful."
Kit, who lives in Purley with his parents and older sister and brother, has acted for four years and attends Stagecoach Croydon lessons every Saturday.
He already has his second film under his belt with a role alongside Sir Ian McKellen in 2015's 'Mr Holmes', but that hasn't stopped Kit taking on the more humble role of Ernie the elf in the Hayes Primary Christmas production: 'Christmas is Forever'.
Kit said: "I like acting because you can play a different person each time, especially the parts that no one else has played before so you can create it yourself."
Emma Larkham, Hayes Primary head, said Kit is so unaffected by his new found stardom, you wouldn't even know he is in the film.
"He hasn't got the main role of the play but he's not bothered at all and the children have learnt from him in that way," said Ms Larkham.
"He's a fantastic role model, particularly for his year group who know him really well. We're really, really proud and the children have been really excited."
While filming Get Santa Kit had a tutor to help him keep up with his school work.
Kit's mum, Caroline, dad, Richard, sister Molly, 15, and brother Ned, 13 all walked the red carpet with him at the Get Santa premiere at Vue West End cinema in London on Sunday (November 30).
Caroline and Richard both work in advertising. Caroline is a producer who has cast children for McDonald's adverts, and said part of Kit's success comes from his ability to listen and take direction.
"He's very mature about things and just goes off and does it," said Caroline: "He really enjoys it and has had some amazing experiences, and he seems to keep his feet on the ground which is really good.
"This is definitely going to be a very, very memorable Christmas. When he's 20, 30, 40 we can drag out Get Santa!"
Get Santa
STARRING: Kit Connor, Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Warwick Davis, Ewen Bremner, Nonso Anozie
DIRECTOR: Christopher Smith
PRODUCER: Ridley Scott
STUDIO: Warner Bros.
FILMED IN: Yorkshire
RELEASED: December 5
RATING: U
