THIS winter the face of a Bolton lad will be seen by moviegoers around the world.

Some may dream of seeing their name on a movie roll call but for Matt Prendergast its just part of his working week.

The 36-year-old moved to London to pursue a career in drama and 18 years later stars in both film and on stage.

His latest work is starring in a debut feature film, Guardians, in a role especially written for him by long-time friend and award winning screenwriter Mark A. C. Brown.

Matt said: "I have been doing this a while now, I've done a few commercials, feature films and theatre.

"I met Mark very shortly after drama school, he had just graduated from a writers course and had formed a writers group.

"We have the same sense of humour and get on really well. I've performed in his short plays which later developed into short films. They started to get entered into competitions for bigger and better festivals so a feature film was the next step.

"Discussing the film, I wanted it to be our version of Withnail & I."

Guardians is a comedy thriller, written and directed by Mark under Braine Hownd Films, set in a 200-year-old house that may or may not be haunted.

Matt takes the lead alongside David Whitney, Mike Shephard, Chris Spyrides, Victoria Johnston and Red Dwarf's Hattie Hayridge.

It will be premiered later this year in the US at film festivals before being shown in the UK.

He has previously starred in feature film Drunk on Love, which featured Jane Asher as his mother.

Later this month he will head to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later to star in the premiere of Nocturnes by internationally acclaimed theatre company Imitating the Dog.

A former Canon Slade pupil, at the age of 18 Matt moved to London to attend drama school and now lives north of the capital with his family - including 21-month-old son Oscar.

He adds: "As a young actor you do think about being famous but with Oscar running round I just can't see myself upping sticks and moving their.

"I'm doing alright here, I may not be massively famous, but it's good."