TV role for Chris

Performing arts student Chris Smith, of Sussex Avenue, has his sights set on the big time after landing roles in EastEnders and a recent Radio 6 commercial shown on BBC TV.

It all started when the 21-year-old spotted an advert for a Brighton-based talent agency in the newspaper. He said: 'It's something I wasn't actually interested in. You had to send your money off and hope for the best.

'I had already made up my mind not to do it, but my mum persuaded me and offered to pay for the first year so I thought, why not there's nothing to lose.

'Since then, something has come through for me every couple of months. I have been in a small film, done the advert for Radio Six and had a part in an episode of EastEnders.'

Chris's part in EastEnders was as a customer at Angie's Den (formerly the e20 nightclub). He said the set was much smaller than he thought, with cameras where walls should be. He said: 'It's quite intimate. I just couldn't believe I was there.

'It so happened that I was there on one of the two days each year when they have a fire drill, so we all had to go and stand outside.

'I was in a dream-like state, seeing all these people I recognised, but the normality of it for them really struck me.

'I chatted to Perry Fenwick (Billy Mitchell) quite a bit. There was one scene where he had to hammer a nail into the wall to hang up a funny picture of himself, but during the shoot he accidentally whacked his thumb with the hammer it was so funny! I expect it will be used on one of those outtakes programmes soon.'

The Radio 6 advert featuring Chris was played recently between programmes on BBC 1 and 2. The scene is a wedding reception at which a fight breaks out because the DJ plays his own choice of rock music, rather than what the newlyweds want.

Chris, who plays the man with the video camera, said: 'The advert only goes on for about 30 seconds, but the shoot took about 13 hours. I couldn't believe how long it took, but it was nice for me. Things had finally started coming through.'

He has also appeared in a short educational film made in Cambridgeshire called The Choice, which tells the story of a young girl who must do battle with her conscience. Chris hopes the film will be shown at schools in 2003.

Chris is currently studying for a performing arts degree at Bath Spa University. He has hopes for the future but remains down-to-earth. 'You never really know what's going to happen,' he said.