LONDON, Oct 6 — Will Poulter “melted like a teenage girl” when Tom Hardy complimented him.

The British actor scored his breakthrough role in comedy ‘We’re the Millers’, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis. His talent caught the attention of BAFTA, who presented him with the Rising Star Award earlier this year.

Will had gone through a “tough stage” before winning the part and accolade, so it was a massive thrill for him when he mingled with A-list stars at the ceremony in February.

“I didn’t in a million years think I’d be winning a BAFTA at 21. It was an insane shock,” he grinned to ASOS magazine. “That night, Tom Hardy came up to me and told me I was something special. I just melted like a teenage girl. Then Alfonso Cuarón, who directed Gravity, said, ‘How’s your balls, man?’ [in reference to a scene in We’re the Millers]. Those were definitely the stranger moments of the night!”

Will can next be seen in blockbuster The Maze Runner as antagonist Gally. The film boasts a mainly British cast, including former Skins actress Kaya Scodelario, and the stars formed a strong friendship during filming.

“We filmed in Louisiana in 40 degrees, 100 per cent humidity, out in the sun all day in heavy, hot costumes. It was a hustle, but it was a blast,” Will gushed. “None of us had really met, so it’s bizarre how close we became. We’re all still on a group WhatsApp [cell phone app] together, and we text every day and send pictures.”

His rise to stardom hasn’t gone to his head though, and Will remains loyal to those who he grew up with in Hammersmith, London.

“I don’t see myself as a ‘Hollywood actor’. My brother is my best mate and my gang is the boys I grew up with... We’d all play [soccer] in the street and I still see them all the time,” he added. — Cover Media