Duma: Alexander Michaletos Speaks
In Duma, Alexander Michaletos plays the courageous Xan, a kid who crosses the wilds of Southern Africa to return his best mate to his rightful home. Of course, in Duma, that best mate is a cheetah!
Alexander had never acted before, so how did he get the part?
"One day I came home from school and my mother told me, 'you can play in a movie!' I didn’t believe her at first, then I went for auditions and it was tough competition - I think two hundred children."
He describes his character: "Xan is a tough boy. He's not afraid of anything. He's a go-getter, and he'll do anything for his best friend."
Luckily, the cheetahs used to play Duma didn’t see Alexander as prey!
"Working with the cheetahs was really great. It can be really awesome. It wasn't my first time being around them, and so I wasn't afraid of them. But sometimes you don't trust the cheetah - for instance, when the cheetah is in the water, I’d rather stay away from him, because he might try to climb on top of you!"
We'll take Alex's word for that... after all, he's used to animals. He lives South Africa and says he grew up on a farm with lions, cheetahs, leopards, tigers, and African wild dogs. That's more dangerous than the usual cows, pigs and chickens.
But, who knows, if Duma does well, maybe Alexander Michaletos will be transferring from South Africa to Hollywood!
Duma is released on 27 May.
