Connor Storrie was always destined for stardom, says Michel K. Parandi

Michel K. Parandi always thought Connor Storrie was destined for stardom.

The 26-year-old actor stars alongside Lilly Krug and Tudor Chirila in April X, the new sci-fi movie directed by Michel K. Parandi, and the filmmaker has heaped praise on Connor, insisting he knew he'd become a movie star even before he enjoyed his career breakthrough in Heated Rivalry, the hit TV series.

Speaking to Variety, Michel shared: "I remember telling everybody early on that he was going to be a movie star.

"It’s funny, there is a book where Ridley Scott talks about Harrison Ford in the first Blade Runner. After the movie, someone called him and asked, ‘What was it like working with Harrison?’ And he said, ‘He’s a movie star.’ I sort of envisioned myself in that. There was something special there."

Michel auditioned around 100 actors for the role of Baxter in April X. Connor was the third or fourth actor to audition for the part, but Michel has recalled being blown away by his efforts.

The director said: "He was very comfortable, very natural during the audition. They wanted me to see more people, so I basically told Connor, ‘You got the part, but give me some more time.’"

Although Connor was very inexperienced at the time, Michel didn't have any doubts about his talent.

The filmmaker said: "I could see [Connor] had been preparing himself for a long time, psychologically even.

"When someone is a natural, they don’t have to work heavily to deliver something believable. It’s a good base to work with. There is also a bit of method acting with him, which I really like. He goes through his own mind, and he’s very fast. Production-wise, it was spotless. He was very easy, smooth, ready on time, always with the performance ready."

Michel explained that the part of Baxter isn't an easy one to fill. But the director is convinced that Connor is the perfect actor for the role.

He said: "[Connor] could not break down, and I could not allow him to cry. I had to find a balance where he remains vulnerable in a believable way, while also having these crazy science fiction plots going around him. There are also layers of anger, insecurity, and rage. Moving from one aspect to the other seamlessly is not something everyone can do without a lot of work."

Michel actually hailed Connor as the "best thing" about April X.

He said: "Connor was the most solid performance I’ve ever had. [He] is the best thing about the movie, but it’s not by chance. It was a conscious decision to put most of my ammunition in that department because I always thought to myself, no matter the story, no matter the budget, the lead has to carry the movie."