// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Boy, 13, is new voice of Thomas the Tank Engine
Harry Sparkes said he kept his role a secret from his school friends
A 13-year-old schoolboy has made his voice-acting debut as Thomas the Tank Engine in a new animated series.
Harry Sparkes, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, stars in Thomas & Friends: Railway Stories alongside Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding, who narrates the series in a role made famous by Sir Ringo Starr.
For nine months, Sparkes kept his weekly recording sessions secret from his classmates by telling them he was attending physiotherapy for a foot injury.
"It feels amazing, because I played and watched Thomas as a kid, and now I get to be Thomas. It just feels insane," he said.
The new series sees Thomas and his friends return to 3D animation
Sparkes added that he thought his friends would be shocked to find out he was voicing the character.
He said he was excited he got "to be part of something which kids from the next generation will get to grow up to watch".
Franchise owners Mattel teased the new series will "introduce fans to a refreshed world of Sodor, while still celebrating the iconic railway action we have all known and loved since its debut as a classic book in 1945".
Henry Golding, who starred in 2019 films Last Christmas and The Gentleman, narrates the series