It’s a massive step towards acting stardom.

For 15-year-old Huddersfield schoolboy Ellis Kirk has landed a key role in one-off BBC drama Billionaire Boy – to air on New Year’s Day.

The heartwarming comedy, an adaption of the book by David Walliams, is the story of Len, who makes a billion from inventing a new toilet roll and his son Joe Spud.

Joe is a lonely schoolboy who transfers schools in the hope of finding new friends.

Watch a trailer below.

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The hour-long show features a stellar cast including Walliams himself as a dinner lady, Catherine Tate (Doctor Who), John Thomson (Cold Feet, The Fast Show) and Ellis as school bully George Grub.

Ellis, a pupil at King James School, said he had gone for the lead role as Joe Spud but he was still delighted to be cast in another role – his biggest part yet.

“I’ve done small parts so far but nothing as big as this,” said Ellis. “I went for the main part but they told me to go for this other role.

“I went for an audition in Sheffield and when my agent gave me the call a week later, I was so happy.”

The programme was filmed at a school in Rotherham and Ellis said he had a few scenes with Walliams, best known for his irreverent performances in sketch show Little Britain.

Ellis Kirk (third from right) with cast members from Billionaire Boy

“I play a bully and I’ve got a twin sister,” said Ellis, who hails from Fenay Bridge. “We’re the school bullies so I had to be quite mean.

“People that know me said, ‘How did you do a bully as you’re such a good guy?’ But the director was brilliant and he said I was quite threatening.

“My deep voice helped. It was really fun playing a bad guy.”

Ellis’ acting career began in Year 5 at Rowley Lane Junior School in Lepton when he scooped the lead part for the annual production.

He repeated the feat the following year and was soon looking to develop his acting more.

He eventually joined up with the REBEL theatre school at Shepley and has also recently filmed as the “Bottle Boy” in ITV drama Jericho - set to be screened early in the new year.

Ellis Kirk of the Rebel theatre group, Shepley.

Mum Liane said Ellis’ schools had really brought the best out of him.

She said: “I think his acting’s fabulous obviously but when other people started to mention it that’s when we started to think he should do something with it.

“His drama teacher came to me and that’s when we found REBEL. And we’ve never looked back.

“He loves it there, it’s just like one big family. It’s a really nice environment and they really help them progress.

“We’d have never heard about the parts in Billionaire Boy without them.

“I’m very proud and I can’t wait to see it.”

Billionaire Boy is on BBC1 at 7pm on New Year’s Day.