“One day I’d like to be a politician actor like Arnie.”

My name is Jawanmard Paiz

I can’t claim that I am a good actor or the best actor, but I am good for my age. I have been acting in films since I was four. Films like; ‘Opium Wars’, ‘Earth & Ashes’ and ‘Buzkashi Boys’. My first screen appearance was in ‘Oriental Diamond’ but I was only two and a half so I don’t remember it. My father is the Vice President of the Afghan Film and my three brothers have acted in films so it has always been part of my life. ‘Earth & Ashes’ was my first big break. Atiq Rahimi, the director was a friend of my father. I went for a casting and he liked me.

“For me, it isn’t about being famous. It is playing different characters.”

In the last film, I played a street kid. It was the first time I had played someone like that so it was interesting. I never had any formal training but we play acting games, which helps us to pretend to be other people.

I suppose I am a bit famous now but my classmates treat me normally. Sometimes when people see me in the streets they come up to me and shake my hand. And sometimes, when I go shopping, they give me a discount. It’s the older boys in my school who can be a bit jealous and gossip about. For the most part I like school and am good at every subject, not a genius, just good. Apart from maths. I am bad at maths.

I want to act in films which, when people see them, they say ‘Bravo! This is Afghan Film making’. The money is good, I don’t want to say what my fee is per film as you can’t compare it to Bollywood. It just isn’t the same here. But I get more than $1000 per film.

My country has been in the wars for so long that Afghan Cinema is still undeveloped. I hope that one day, we will be as recognised as much as Bollywood, or even Hollywood.

When I am not acting or at school I meet my friends and we play football or computer games. I also like filming my friends acting out famous scenes from movies on my mobile phone. They aren’t actors and so laugh so we all end up laughing together.

My favourite films are the ones I was in, but I also like Troy. I watch it over and over again. I like Scarface too. And my favourite actor? It would have to be Talash. In Hollywood my favourite is Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Brad Pit and that guy in Face Off… Nicolas Cage, yeah he is really good. I like him. Oh and Jean Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan – he is so funny! One day I’d like to be a politician actor like Arnie.