Mattias Inwood (22) is in Los Angeles preparing to film Will for the American cable and satellite broadcaster Turner Network Television.
TNT is available in 94million American homes.
Mr Inwood's mother, Albert Town potter Jacou Vettard told the Otago Daily Times yesterday her son began acting lessons at the age of 8 or 9 with the Aspiring Children's Theatre School run by Gilly Pugh.
He credited the school for inspiring him to pursue an acting career.
Ms Pugh said yesterday Mr Inwood's first time on stage was in a production of The Taniwha and the Lake when he was very young.
Mr Inwood worked hard and was ‘‘a very good boy'', she said.
She and partner John Schwarz were delighted at his success.
Mr Inwood studied for three years at Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Drama School, and landed his first major television role in The Shannara Chronicles, last year.
Will is described by the American media outlet Deadline.com as the ‘‘wild story of young William Shakespeare's arrival on to the punk rock theatre scene that was 16th-century London''.
Mr Inwood plays Richard, the son of James Burbage (Colm Meaney), a carpenter looking to build a 3000-seat theatre in London.
Deadline reported earlier this week Richard's character was ‘‘innately talented'', but ‘‘a little too much in love with himself and prone to overact''.
‘‘Through personal tragedy and Will's influence, Richard ...realises that there is more to being an actor than the crowd's adoration and he and Will go on to form the greatest actor-writer partnership the world has ever seen.''
Shakespeare, played by British actor Laurie Davidson, must contend with rioting audiences, religious fanatics and raucous side-shows.
Deadline described the pilot as the ‘‘hot, contemporary, dangerous version of Shakespeare's life, played to a modern soundtrack, exposing all his recklessness, lustful temptations and brilliance''.
