A RISING star is set to trade Stratton for superstardom with his performance in a Hollywood blockbuster.

This January, 22-year-old Tommy Hatto (CORR) will grace the silver screen in CIA thriller Criminal, filmed on location in London.

The aspiring actor will play the part of Captain Burrows in the high-octane drama which will see him face-off against Hollywood heavyweights Gary Oldman, Kevin Costner and Ryan Reynolds.

“It’s a small role but I had a blast on set. To be surrounded by people who have spent years in the industry was incredible. I’m excited to see what comes next,” he said.

It’s been a whirlwind of success since former Kingsdown School pupil Tommy first developed an interest in acting aged 16.

He said: “That’s when I first got the acting bug after studying drama. It was always something I wanted to do but I just put it to the back of my mind because acting is so competitive.

“I’ve always had that working ethic in me, I think because my parents instilled that into me that I realised I needed to work. So I got a job in PR, moved to London and thought that was it.”

Tommy revealed it was a chance encounter with Hollywood royalty that sealed his acting fate.

“I was invited to a premiere and got the chance to meet Dustin Hoffman which was amazing," he said.

"I think speaking to people like that I realised there are so many different routes into acting and it inspired me to have a go and see if anything would come up."

After trawling the internet for open auditions and building up an impressive show-reel Tommy was invited to glittering Los Angeles to meet with agents and rub shoulders with the stars, including actress and singer Jennifer Lopez.

“I was a bit star-struck when I met Jennifer Lopez. She’s lovely and not a diva at all. I’ve probably met her three or four times now and she’s always great,” he said.

This will be the second time Tommy will appear on cinema screens. In 2012 he played a bemused student on a school-trip in superhero adventure Thor 2: The Dark World.

“My line was 'look over there' and I didn’t get a chance to meet Thor unfortunately but I like to think I was integral to the film,” he said.

And multi-talented Tommy is no longer a stranger to the red carpet, having interviewed Will Smith, Seth Rogen Charlize Theron and the late Paul Walker via MSN for Skype.

He said: “I don’t really get nervous because it was on Skype so if something went wrong I could just shut the laptop. It’s all good practice.”

He also tried his hand at presenting when he fronted a music documentary about Jennifer Lopez for Channel 4.

Tommy is now looking to develop his portfolio as he prepares to go back to Los Angeles to pursue his dream.

“The dream is to be a successful actor and have a career out of this. But I have to put in the hard work now, I’m looking forward to it,” he added.