Rising Northern Territory actor Javier Jones likes that his friends at school don't pay much attention to the fact that he has made it to the big screen.
"I'm glad that they don't take notice of it all that much," he said.
"I don't want to get weird treatment, I just want to be treated normally."
The 12-year-old Larrakia boy plays the lead role in the Australian short-film Mungo, which tells the true story of an Aboriginal boy who leaves his family behind to join the circus in 1853.
The film was shot in Tamworth in 2021 when Javier was just 10 years old.
While he had never been to an acting class before landing the role, he said his performance as Mungo came naturally.
Javier's mother, Alicia Jones, said her son couldn't believe his luck when he was chosen for the leading role, after being spotted on a casting website.
"It was a very proud moment for him, he was quietly very proud of himself," she said.
International acclaim for his first film
The film's director, Leonie Kelly, said she was drawn to Javier from the moment they met, and was blown away by his performance on set.
"Javier was able to perform in a way that I was asking for and was quite adaptable to be able to learn how to speak the Gamilaraay language for the film," she said.
The Larrakia boy has gone on to win to two best actor awards for his performance in the film, in New York and Paris, and is keen to take his acting further.
Mungo is now making the film-festival circuit in Australia and around the globe, with a local screening in Darwin planned later this year.
'Go for it, no matter what anyone tells you'
The year 7 student said he looks to other Northern Territory-born stars including actor Rob Collins and fashion designer Paul McCann for inspiration, and hopes to emulate their success, using Darwin as his launching pad.
When he's not at school, Javier enjoys "going down the track" to camp with his family and swim in Top End waterholes. He believes being close to nature makes him a better actor.
Javier said the only downfall about living in the Northern Territory was the lack of local acting opportunities but did not think that should stop other kids like him from chasing their dreams.
"You still should try and go for it, no matter what anyone tells you, even if people look down on you or say, 'you can't do that," he said.
"Ignore them because they are just jealous because you have got that talent."
This story is part of a special Born and Bred series, celebrating the work of remarkable Territorians.
