'Belfast' Star Jude Hill on His Star-Studded Awards Season and Marvel Dreams (Exclusive)

etonline.com:

, director Kenneth Branagh is telling his most personal story yet, about a young boy and his family living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the 1960s, at the beginning of the period known as «The Troubles,» in which division between factions of Catholics/nationalists and Protestants/unionists led to violent clashes, riots and bombings.

Branagh, who grew up in Belfast, before moving away at age 9 to escape The Troubles, found his star for the film in 11-year-old Jude Hill, who plays Buddy, a wide-eyed, fun-loving character based on the director and screenwriter himself.

is seen through Buddy's eyes — and Hill marveled about seeing his face on a massive Hollywood billboard when he joined ET's Denny Directo for an in-studio chat this week.«It's kind of crazy,» the young actor admitted. «I mean, my face, and a bunch of people seeing it every single day.

It's pretty, pretty crazy. It's very cool.» is Hill's first feature film role, so it's an extra thrill that the movie has scored critical acclaim as well as several nominations and big wins this awards season.