He practised the lines to his role as Orson Welles in the back garden of his village home.

Now Christian McKay is set to become a Hollywood sensation after playing the lead part in the newly-released film Me and Orson Welles.

He appears opposite teen pin-up Zac Efron, better known for the hit film High School Musical. In the picture above, Zac is on the left and Christian is centre.

Christian, who lives in Wateringbury with wife Emily, can scarcely believe what he calls his “diabolical and divine good luck” after being picked to play the American icon by Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater.

In an exclusive interview with the KM this week, Christian, pictured left in the film, reveals how he got the part and his love of his home village.

The 36-year-old has just completed Woody Allen’s new film and is already being billed as 'the new Philip Seymour Hoffman’.

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• Pictures supplied by Premier OR