A YOUNG actor from Greenwich is realising his dreams of big-screen stardom. Ezra Goddon, 26, of Ashburnham Place, Greenwich, has scooped the lead role in his first film.

Dagon, a horror movie set and filmed in Spain, stars Goddon as a dot.com entrepreneur drawn into a supernatural world of human sacrifice and sea monsters.

He landed the role after playing alongside David Schwimmer (Ross from Friends) and Dexter Fletcher (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) as a US Air Force Paratrooper in the prestigious Second World War series Band of Brothers, produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

Goddon has risen to such starry heights from relatively humble beginnings.

Brought up in Greenwich, he attended James Wolfe Junior School and Thomas Tallis Secondary School, Kidbrooke.

His father, Mick, owner of a fireplace and antiques shop in the Old Kent Road, encouraged him and his younger sister, Marnie, 22, also now an actress, to watch black and white movies, fuelling their dreams of the silver screen.

Goddon told Leisuretime: "I can't remember what first drove me to be an actor it's been my ambition for as long as I can remember."

Goddon's first break came when, aged 15, he appeared in the Corn is Green, in Greenwich Theatre.

After that came a role in Golden Swords at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, in London, from which he got himself a place at the WebberDouglas Academy, in Kensington, attended by Minnie Driver and Terence Stamp.

But he says: "Working in Band of Brothers has been my crucial break."

Fortunately for Goddon, Filmax director Stuart Gordon was there at the time.

Goddon must have made an impact he was signed up to play Dagon's lead role within weeks. The film gave Goddon a chance to play the action-hero. He did all of his own stunts except the most dangerous one: "The director wouldn't let me do it because if I'd been injured it would have badly disrupted the shoot."

Goddon's next role will be the lead in another horror movie by the same production company, Filmax. He thinks ironic horror movies like Scream and Scary Movie are being done to death at the moment: "But Dagon and my next project are more old-school wacky horrors in the tradition of Evil Dead. Lots of dark humour, slime and special effects. They're the sort which become cult classics."

Ultimately though, he would like to return to the world of his childhood favourites black and white movies.

"Everyone I have acted with so far says I look and act like Cary Grant, which is something I'm very pleased about, obviously. I do try to nurture that image. But my ideal project would be to play Harold Lloyd, who is a really big hero of mine."

But he added: "I'm certainly happy enough with the way my career's going at the moment!

Dagon will reach the cinema screens of Spain and be released on video in the UK next March. See Goddon in Band of Brothers on November 16 on BBC2 at 9pm. It is on every Friday and repeated on BBC1 at 10.35pm on Wednesdays.

November 12, 2001 18:54

By Frances Russell