Wanted: Pint-Sized Potentate

Fame and fortune, the adoration of millions and a life of pampered Hollywood luxury is yours for the taking. Assuming, of course, that you're nine-years-old and look like Leonardo DiCaprio. Baz Luhrmann has issued a global call for would-be conquerors to step forward and audition to become the young Alexander the Great. Appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning, Luhrmann talked about the film and his requirements for the young star, as well as the reasons behind casting Nicole Kidman and Leo as the film's leads. "For these particular roles they're just perfect casting, it's as simple as that. They're really not the boy or the girl next door. They're the kind of actors you seek out when you have extraordinary roles because they have extraordinary qualities." On Leo in particular, Luhrmann was effusive in his praise. "I'd been working on Alexander the Great, the subject for about 10 years and he's an extraordinary character. You have to look up at the screen and say I believe that 50,000 soldiers will follow that man to the end of the world. That kind of actor isn't a dime a dozen. We get a bit blinded by the fact that at a certain point in [Leo's] career he became bigger than culture on a pop level, but he really is one of the finest actors on the face of the earth." Big shoes to fill for any wannabe, but the boy who lands the life-changing role as Leo's younger incarnation will have to be quite extraordinary. "The issue I have is how do you really get inside that character? How do you have empathy for him? How do you take an icon and make him human? So a large part of the film is the childhood. We've got a 9-year-old Alexander the Great. Not only has he got to look like Leonardo and be a gifted actor, but Alexander had this legendary relationship with his horse, Bucephalus, so he really needs equestrian skills." So if you have, know of or are a horse-loving, empire conquering Leo looky-likey, then this gig could should peak your interest. And don't let a lack of past roles put you off either, recognising that the ideal candidate won't necessarily have an acting background, the director has flung open the doors to children from all walks of life in order to find the perfect person. "I'm not saying we won't find it through young professional performance channels but, a bit like Harry Potter, we know now that we have to look under ever stone. I've got casting set up in every country in the world. It's probably where the risk lies, resting so much with the child." To be considered for the role, prospective Alexanders should send a colour head shot, CV and essential details like age, height, weight, and horse riding experience (if none then a willingness to learn may be enough) to : Universal Pictures Feature Castings Dept, UNTITLED ALEXANDER THE GREAT PROJECT, 100 Universal City Plaza, Building 2160/8A, Universal City, CA 91608, USA.