AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Barry schoolboy has taken his first steps towards acting stardom after landing a role in detective drama Hinterland.

Brochan William Evans was chosen to appear in the crime drama series which sees troubled DCI Tom Mathias solving murders while searching for redemption.

The Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg pupil shares the screen with Richard Harrington, who stars in the main role.

Brochan said: “I play a boy called Bryn Morris. He thinks he's out with his dad for the day but the day doesn't go to plan.

“I auditioned for the role and was so happy that they gave me the part. My sister was in the first series but her part wasn't as big as mine.

“It was brilliant. I was off school for nearly six weeks and had my own tutor. The cast and crew were so lovely. We had fun."

The youngster made his acting debut as the Pharaoh from Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in a production by Barry-based theatre company Pukka, which took place at the Memo, Barry, in 2013.

The year 4 pupil, who also belongs to the Shelley Norton stage school and management agency, based in Penarth, has previously been in two short films.

Small Talk came out last year, while a short film called Dying Light is due to be released next month.

In it, he plays a German refugee from the Second World War.

Hinterland, based in Aberystwyth, is filmed in both the Welsh and English language.

Brochan’s episode of Y Gwyll/Hinterland will be shown on S4C on Sunday (November 27). It will air again the following Sunday at 9pm.

It will also be screened on BBC Wales and BBC Four next year.