Derby actor Jack O’Connell has got a new role as a Second World War soldier.
The former pupil of St Benedict School in Derby will play the role in an independent British film called Shelter. The film will tell the story of three soldiers captured in the Netherlands. It will be released later in the year.
The 20-year-old recently played Sir Bobby Charlton in BBC drama United, about the 1958 Munich air crash, alongside David Tennant.
O’Connell became famous when he played James Cook in Channel Four’s youth drama Skins. He has also starred in the films This Is England, Harry Brown and Eden Lake and was recently named in Company magazine’s list of the 50 most eligible bachelors.
In the plot of the new war film the three main characters shelter in a small cottage after being separated from their company. They form a relationship with the two female inhabitants.
O’Connell, who still lives in the Alvaston area of the city, recently made an appearance at the St Benedict School and Performing Arts College to watch performances and hold workshops. He said: “I spent five years studying here and this is the first time I have been back since I left.
“I was taught how to act here so coming back is something I have been meaning to do for some time.
“I have been kicking myself that I’ve not been back sooner. It’s like coming home.”
Another famous former pupil of St Benedict School is actress Lauren Socha, who recently won a Bafta for her role in Channel Four series Misfits.