A film shot on location in Kent stars an actor who is the stuff of modern fairtytale - Rob Knighton was a carpet fitter just five years ago, who was scouted by a modelling agency and is now a supermodel-turned-acting talent.

Everyone’s Going To Die is not the cheeriest-sounding title, yet the new movie release is an indie comedy set at the Kent seaside.

The real star of the show for local viewers will be Folkestone, where the movie was shot on location and which makes an atmospheric backdrop for a romantic twist, as two lost souls form an unusual mysterious connection that defies convention.

But if Folkestone alone is not enough of an attraction, it’s worth checking the film out simply on the basis of the fantastic backstory of lead actor Rob Knighton.

Rob, here in his big screen debut, was a Shoreditch carpet fitter just five years ago who was talent-spotted by a modelling agency aged 50 – yes 50 – whilst sunbathing during his lunchbreak.

Catapulted to supermodel status almost overnight, Rob has this year starred alongside David Beckham as the face of an H&M campaign, graced the pages of Vogue, plays the lead role of Ray in Everyone’s Going To Die, and is shortly to appear in Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur movie.

“They asked if I’d like to be in a shaving commercial,” remembers Rob of that day four years ago when his fortunes changed.

“I got an agent from there, and then music videos and commercials. Once I started to do it I could see what they wanted. I thought all models looked like David Beckham and David Gandy, but they wanted the age and character and I thought, ‘I can do this.’

Rob, now 54, adds: “I got this part in Everyone’s Going To Die only about six or eight months after I’d been scouted, so it’s my first major role. We shot it in 2011, it’s just been a long time coming.”

While Rob might not put himself in the same bracket as Beckham, H&M advertising chiefs do: he stars in a short film advert playing a snooker hall champion beaten by challenger Becks in a tense warehouse stand-off.

“We just played pool solidly for two days together! David Beckham’s a really nice guy and he’s a really good pool player, but then I’m pretty good as well,” says Rob, who has also previously worked on a shoot with Penelope Cruz and in a Paul McCartney video.

“At the end, David was supposed to line the shot up and then we’d cut to CGI, but he did a trick shot three times in a row! He was amazing.”

Rob’s next movie appearance will swap the indie budget of Everyone’s Going To Die for the big league of Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur movie which he’s been working on.

Though he remembers being a happy-enough chap when he was carpet fitting for a living, Rob admits, “It’s all working in the right direction – it’s a nice big step up.”

FOLKESTONE FAIRYTALE
‘A man whose life is falling apart meets a girl whose life can’t get started’ goes the tagline for Everyone’s Going To Die.

Folkestone was chosen as an atmospheric and at times comical location for the story of two misfits who are drawn together from bleak existences to find warmth, humour and love.

It is the debut film from British film duo Jones, who said: “You think you’ve written a low budget story and then you realise you need to shoot someone jumping off a bridge into a harbour. At night. Nobody actually dies in the film, so if you like action films with a high body count, this may not be for you. If you like films with a sense of humour and moments of unexpected tenderness, come on in.”

Rob Knighton stars alongside Nora Tschirner, an actress who is a superstar in her home country of Germany.

But it was Rob who got the A-list treatment in terms of transport: he stayed in a holiday let on a farm about 15 minutes outside Folkestone during filming and enjoyed driving back and forth to set in the brand new Jag that his character, Ray, drives in the movie.

“The main HQ was in the harbour, a couple of doors along from the pub. We had a great time for five weeks, really good fun,” he said. “Folkestone’s got some great buildings and the old railway station is so atmospheric.”

Everyone’s Going To Die is in selected cinemas from Friday, June 26 and on digital release from Monday, July 6. Visit www.facebook.com/EGTDMovie.