One of the biggest mysteries of Star Wars has always been just whose faces are hidden behind the menacing stormtrooper masks.

Well in one case at least, we now have the answer - a McDonald's worker from Norwich.

Tom Elgie appears as an extra in The Force Awakens, the latest instalment of the science fiction series, which is released at midnight tonight.

Alongside thousands of others, he applied for the part online. He was not asked for any specific qualifications, but had to provide his height - a significant factor for a stormtrooper.

He was accepted and notified via email, and ordered to attend Pinewood studios, on the outskirts of London.

Mr Elgie, who works at McDonald's at intu Chapelfield and lives on Thorpe Road, took part in a day's filming, and appeared in two scenes, alongside around 300 other 'stormtroopers'.

'From the moment I walked on the set it felt unbelievable, like I had actually left Earth and gone to the Star Wars galaxy. It was the ultimate fan experience.'

'The day went so quickly, but it's amazing how intricate everything is. In one of the scenes, it was simply a shot of all the stormtroopers turning around at once, which we had to do around 30 times, to make sure all of us were in complete unison.'

He added: 'As soon as you put the uniform on, you feel a part of it.'

Mr Elgie, originally from Beccles, studied performance art at St John Leman High School, in the town, which drew him towards singing and theatre.

However, this experience have inspired him to turn his attentions to the big screen and he now harbours ambitions of a full time career in film.

He is now in the process of applying for university to study film, with just one part of his application remaining; his reference.

'I thought about asking JJ Abrams (the director) for a reference, but I'm not sure he'd remember me,' he joked.

The film release is one of the most anticipated film events of recent years, with fans across the world speculating about what it could entail. However, Mr Elgie has been sworn to absolute secrecy about plot details and which characters he was on set with.

'Even on set things were very hush-hush. I'm having to wait to find the complete picture, just like everyone else,' he said.

His wait is nearly over now. He already has four cinema trips planned for opening week alone; including two in the first 24 hours.