The young South Aucklander on Wednesday returned with his mother, Danielle Farrell, from Bangkok, where he had a part in shooting the new Jason Statham action thriller Mechanic: Resurrection.
Dylan didn't get to meet Statham or co-stars Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones and Michelle Yeoh, but nonetheless said it was "quite exciting -- meeting all the new people and being in the movies".
He is sworn to secrecy on his role, but can say that it involves doing stunts. A gymnast, he now hopes to build a career in acting and doing on-screen stunts. "I like acting and I love doing stunts," Dylan said.
But for most of last year, he was laid up in a wheelchair to let his left hip rest. He has had Perthes' disease, a condition of unknown cause which temporarily cuts off the blood supply to the ball of the hip. Bone dies, is absorbed by the body and regrows when the blood supply resumes, but the regrowth can go wrong.
Dylan had surgery to realign the ball of his hip in its socket. He was put into a body cast for six weeks.
He said his friends were initially sceptical when he told them he was going to act in a Hollywood movie.
But they changed their minds "when I was gone for about 10 days".
Dylan won the part by helping brother Liam, 12, make an audition video for a different role he didn't get.
"Dylan is amazing on camera," said Liz Baldwin-Featherstone, the director of LBF Kids Talent. Mrs Farrell said Liam had been supportive of Dylan's success.
By Martin Johnston of The New ZEaland Herald
