Matthew banks on TV future

Buy photos » TV Ad star five-year-old Matthew Wan. 02.012.021.sol.jg1 (www.buyphotos247.com)

A SCHOOLBOY is the star of an advert which hit TV screens in the New Year.

Five-year-old Matthew Wan from Solihull was chosen from 100 boys who were all vying for a starring role in the advert for HSBC.

In the advert Matthew is the last in a line of children who are all waiting to be given a red envelope by their grandfather - a tradition celebrated during Chinese New Year where envelopes are passed between family members to ward off evil spirits.

Proud mum Ivy Wan put Matthew forward for the advert after hearing about the opportunity through a friend.

They had to attend casting sessions in London at the end of November where Matthew rehearsed the scene from the advert.

And it was a quick turnaround when he was cast as shooting took place at the beginning of December.

Ivy said: "I was so proud of him and he was so lucky to be chosen. Because he's so young at five the casting directors said it's difficult sometimes to control the children so they got two others there as back-up if Matthew couldn't do it but luckily he was fine.

"We loved it when we saw him on TV. It was such a wonderful experience to go through and he was very excited when he saw himself on TV."

And Matthew's friends have been keen to hear all about his starring TV role and he shared the experience with them during a show and tell event at school.

Ivy said: "They played the advert at school so his friends could see it but he's been quite shy about it when people have asked him about the advert and say they have seen him on TV."

Matthew and his mum are hoping he gets the chance to feature in more campaigns in the future and are currently looking to sign to an agency.

To view the advert search HSBC TV ad January Sale on YouTube.