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Batman actor ready to fight crime here
posted 9/13/2007
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/2014/2014939/batman_actor_ready_to_fight_crime_here_
FROM Reading Town to Gotham City via the Black Pearl Winston Elliss career is going from strength to strength.
Now the Hollywood actor, from Shinfield, who is set to appear in 2008s upcoming blockbuster Batman: The Dark Knight, wants to give something back to his home town.
He is appealing for Reading Borough Council to allow him to go into schools and teach the towns future movie-makers about the art of filming.
Youngsters could get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with professional people in the film industry including famous actors.
It is hoped the project would help steer youngsters away from crime, particularly in some of Readings more deprived areas.
A similar scheme in Stevenage saw the towns crime rate dip by an amazing 18 per cent according to construction and property consultant CMPB which sponsored the project in Stevenage.
Mr Ellis runs the scheme, called the Pukka Project, with basic skills education consultant Mark Straker.
Pukka stands for Peer Understanding Knowing Knowledge Attitude.
Mr Ellis and Mr Straker hope, through shadowing professionals and getting a real insight into the film industry, children and teenagers will be encouraged to move away from crime and into education.
If the scheme gets the go-ahead in Reading young people would help build sets and have the chance to make a documentary accompanying the film, as well as appearing as extras in the actual movie.
The scheme was so successful in Stevenage the first film, starring Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Nick Moran, won a plethora of awards.
It is hoped another film, One of Us, will be shown in local cinemas in Stevenage and possibly be made into a feature film by Channel Four.
Mr Ellis, 42, said: I go into schools and teach kids about drama and set design. I want to do the same in Reading. I have been so lucky.
A lot of people ask me, Why are you still living in Reading? but its my home town.
I cannot get my head round being famous. The thing for me is being recognised when I pop into my local Asda and when I drop my daughter off at school.
Mr Ellis, who was born in Battle Hospital and attended Alfred Sutton Boys School, got involved in acting after appearing in Casualty, Holby City and Doctors.
He now has an agent in LA and films a lot on location. He will be filming in Chicago for the new Batman movie, in which he plays baddie Gator .
Mr Ellis, who has a son Ellis Mason, 23, and daughter Aisha Maunders, 11, played another henchman in the Pirates of the Caribbean films and he has also be cast as an evil general in a forthcoming flick called The White Flower.
I might be getting typecast, he joked.
In Batman, Christian Bale plays the title role and Hollywood heartthrob Heath Ledger is rumoured to be playing the wide-grinned Joker.
Heaths a fantastic man. He is a great actor and a great human being, Mr Ellis revealed.
My career is really starting to take off now.
Mr Straker, 36, from Hertfordshire, added: We would like to carry on Pukka in Reading maybe in the Madejski Academy.
In Stevenage, having the police back our project and setting up on quite a rough estate was phenomenal. Its a different approach to education.
Gator = Movie version of killer croc?
posted 9/13/2007
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/2014/2014939/batman_actor_ready_to_fight_crime_here_
FROM Reading Town to Gotham City via the Black Pearl Winston Elliss career is going from strength to strength.
Now the Hollywood actor, from Shinfield, who is set to appear in 2008s upcoming blockbuster Batman: The Dark Knight, wants to give something back to his home town.
He is appealing for Reading Borough Council to allow him to go into schools and teach the towns future movie-makers about the art of filming.
Youngsters could get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with professional people in the film industry including famous actors.
It is hoped the project would help steer youngsters away from crime, particularly in some of Readings more deprived areas.
A similar scheme in Stevenage saw the towns crime rate dip by an amazing 18 per cent according to construction and property consultant CMPB which sponsored the project in Stevenage.
Mr Ellis runs the scheme, called the Pukka Project, with basic skills education consultant Mark Straker.
Pukka stands for Peer Understanding Knowing Knowledge Attitude.
Mr Ellis and Mr Straker hope, through shadowing professionals and getting a real insight into the film industry, children and teenagers will be encouraged to move away from crime and into education.
If the scheme gets the go-ahead in Reading young people would help build sets and have the chance to make a documentary accompanying the film, as well as appearing as extras in the actual movie.
The scheme was so successful in Stevenage the first film, starring Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Nick Moran, won a plethora of awards.
It is hoped another film, One of Us, will be shown in local cinemas in Stevenage and possibly be made into a feature film by Channel Four.
Mr Ellis, 42, said: I go into schools and teach kids about drama and set design. I want to do the same in Reading. I have been so lucky.
A lot of people ask me, Why are you still living in Reading? but its my home town.
I cannot get my head round being famous. The thing for me is being recognised when I pop into my local Asda and when I drop my daughter off at school.
Mr Ellis, who was born in Battle Hospital and attended Alfred Sutton Boys School, got involved in acting after appearing in Casualty, Holby City and Doctors.
He now has an agent in LA and films a lot on location. He will be filming in Chicago for the new Batman movie, in which he plays baddie Gator .
Mr Ellis, who has a son Ellis Mason, 23, and daughter Aisha Maunders, 11, played another henchman in the Pirates of the Caribbean films and he has also be cast as an evil general in a forthcoming flick called The White Flower.
I might be getting typecast, he joked.
In Batman, Christian Bale plays the title role and Hollywood heartthrob Heath Ledger is rumoured to be playing the wide-grinned Joker.
Heaths a fantastic man. He is a great actor and a great human being, Mr Ellis revealed.
My career is really starting to take off now.
Mr Straker, 36, from Hertfordshire, added: We would like to carry on Pukka in Reading maybe in the Madejski Academy.
In Stevenage, having the police back our project and setting up on quite a rough estate was phenomenal. Its a different approach to education.
Gator = Movie version of killer croc?
I think it'd be neat but it's hard to say until we know more about the character.
t: 
