One Surrey boy has seemingly gone from walking on the rolling landscapes of Box Hill to playing prestigious roles in Hollywood blockbuster films at just 14-years-old. Not many schoolboys from Surrey can boast that they have appeared in films alongside Tom Hanks, but one of the very few who can is Finn Guegan.
The teenager from Westcott, Surrey, has a role in the new drama film ‘Here’ directed by Robert Zemeckis that is being released across the UK this week. The blockbuster film has a star-studded cast which includes main character roles for Tom Hanks and Robin Wright among many others. Some of you may recognise Robert Zemeckis for directing iconic hit-films such as Back To The Future, Forrest Gump and Cast Away.
Based on the 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire, ‘Here’ is told in a non-linear fashion, capturing the story of a single piece of land and its inhabitants throughout time and across generations. From the distant past through to the 21st Century, the film tells the story of the ups and downs of the lives of the people and families who spent their lives on that piece of land in the American countryside.
Finn Guegan, who plays the younger version of Tom Hank’s character, Richard, grew up around the Dorking area from the age of three, living in Betchworth, Box Hill. He and his family has since moved to Westcott, where Finn attended St Martin’s Primary. Today, when he isn’t acting, the teen goes to The Ashcombe School in Dorking, where he is currently studying his GCSEs.
The young actor will be returning to his home town on Sunday January 17, where a special screening of the film will take place which will include a Q&A with Finn himself.
‘Here’ (2024) was filmed at the nearby Pinewood Studios based in Slough, where Finn said he had “an amazing experience”, highlighting the time he spent with Tom Hanks who was “lovely”.
The blockbuster film is releasing on January 17, where the teenager, who has previously appeared in crime drama Grace on ITV and sci-fi drama Silo on Apple TV, said he “can’t wait to finally see the finished film at Dorking Halls on Sunday”.
To mark the release of the film, Finn will be returning to his Dorking roots; hosting a special screening of ‘Here’ at Dorking Halls theatre and cinema on January 17. At this special screening on the film, the teenager actor will provide a short introduction to the film as well as a hosted Q&A where he will go into detail about his experience filming, his acting work and his path from the Surrey countryside to the big screen.
Keith Garrow, Dorking Halls General Manager, commented on this special screening of the film, saying: “We are delighted to have the chance to welcome Finn and his family for the special screening of Here at Dorking Halls. To have a local connection to the film makes it extra special and we are very proud of Finn’s role in the new blockbuster – we are sure it is just the start of his glittering film career!”
Tickets are now on sale for the Sunday January 17 special screening of ‘Here’ at Dorking Halls, where you can watch the blockbuster with Finn Guegan. The film will then run at the Dorking Halls’ Cinema from Monday January 20.
To book tickets for ‘Here’ at Dorking Halls, you can call the Box Office on 01306 881717 or visit their website here.