By Fiona Cooper

Amateur boxer Billy Rumble could soon be seeing stars in his eyes, - but not from a knockout punch.

The 18-year-old plays the part of British featherweight champion Terry Spinks in the new film Risen.

The film traces the boxing career and life of Welshman Howard Winstone, who became world featherweight champion in 1968, at the age of 29.

The Borden teenager, whose first – and last – acting role was in a school play at the age of 11, has been described as a natural in front of the camera by producer and director Neil Jones.

Billy, whose father Charlie runs Rumbles Boxing Academy in Sittingbourne, could now be staring a new career in the face – as a professional actor. It was Frank Maloney who set Billy on what could be the road to acting stardom. The boxing promoter, a close friend of the Rumbles, put forward Billy’s name as a last-minute contender for the role when the original actor was forced to pull out and the producer’s second choice, a Yorkshire-based actor, didn’t fit the bill, either in physical appearance or accent.

Billy, whose parents come from London, was sent the script by email and had a telephone audition with Neil Jones.

"When he heard my voice he said: ‘stop there – that’s absolutely brilliant!’" said Billy.

Billy’s scenes – a press conference, Spinks’ 1961 failed title defence against Winstone, and in a nightclub – were filmed in Wales.

The fight scenes, in which Billy wore Spinks’s trademark claret and blue shorts – "they were very short shorts, basically like hotpants" – were tough both in terms of acting and "pretending" to fight against the film’s star, Stuart Brennan, who had trained for the part for five years.

"It was pretty hard because obviously I’m used to getting in there and doing it for real," said Billy. "But they said they couldn’t believe I hadn’t acted before and that I should get a lot more work from it."

Billy, who now has to decide which road to take, said: "I’ve had thoughts of turning professional, but I’m going to have another year as an amateur and see how that goes. Then I’ll sit down with my dad and we’ll talk about where we go.

"But I would also love to do more acting. It would be a dream and I think I’d prefer to do it over boxing. Boxing is my life, but this would be another step for me."

Billy, who appears in the film for about 20 minutes in total, said his brush with acting had not turned him into a luvvy.

"It’s not changed me one bit," he said. "I am just the person I was and always will be."

Billy, his girlfriend Kristy Batchelor and his family were at the film’s premiere at the WBC Night of Champions event in Cardiff last Thursday.