West Yorkshire Boy, 12, Describes Christmas Film Role as ‘One of the Best Experiences’

A 12-year-old boy from West Yorkshire has described securing a starring role in a new Christmas film by Richard Curtis as “one of the best experiences”. Jack Wisniewski, who hails from Mirfield, portrays Danny Williams in Curtis’s That Christmas. This marks the initial animated feature from the filmmaker, known for his contributions to festive cinema. Jack shared the screen with an ensemble cast, which included Jodie Whittaker, a former Doctor Who actress from Huddersfield, alongside Bill Nighy and Fiona Shaw. Brian Cox also featured in the film, voicing the character of Santa Claus. Jack stated: “I’ve always had this passion where I just want to go out and express myself.” He further elaborated: “I’m quite a chatty person but I want to be able to use that to show others that you can do this as well.” Regarding Whittaker, who plays the role of Danny’s mother, the 12-year-old commented: “She was so nice. We took a break during recording, and she said I did amazing.” Jack mentioned that during his preparation for the film, which draws from books authored by Richard Curtis, he acquainted himself with another well-known Christmas work by the director. He recounted: “We watched Love Actually, me and my mum together, ” Curtis informed BBC Breakfast that “five years of love” were invested in the production of the animated film, recently launched on Netflix. He expressed: “I hope when people watch this, they will hug each other a bit harder at the end.” Stacey Burrows, Jack’s agent from the Articulate Agency, located in Baildon, remarked: “The team loved Jack’s authentic northern accent.” She added: “It made him a perfect fit to play Jodie Whittaker’s son, Danny.” Ms. Burrows further stated that it was “wonderful seeing local kids on a massive platform”.