He's 13 and about to start year 8 at a Sydney high school; he loves cooking, playing computer games and watching movies with his family.

A family snap of Ed in Los Angeles with his brother Archie and father Jamie in 2014. ( Supplied: Di Adams )

The difference is Ed Oxenbould is also Australia's smallest big thing at the box office, simultaneously starring in two blockbuster family movies - the Hollywood production Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and the low-budget Australian film Paper Planes, being released on January 15.

"It definitely is weird. It's a weird experience," he said.

"I never really grasped how big it was when I initially got Alexander; I thought, 'Ooh, this is exciting' but after I got home, I looked back and thought, 'That was an incredible experience.'

"I got to work with some massive names in Hollywood and I learnt so much, and then it really kind of struck me how life-changing it was."

Sorry, this video has expired Young Australian star taking vegemite sandwiches to Hollywood ( Katherine Tulich )

The Alexander movie has grossed more than $US85 million ($105 million) in just three months, well above its $US28 million production budget.

The movie's success has shocked Oxenbould, who played the title role of 12-year-old Alexander - a hapless American kid who happens to have an obsession with Australia.

"I am quite surprised, because I'm quite young and I haven't had that much experience," he said.

"I didn't really know how well it would go down, I didn't really know how much money it would make, but I had a feeling that it was going to be quite successful because it was a really lovely script.

"It kind of blew my mind when I had a look at how much money it made. It was a bit overwhelming for me."

Australian movies made for children are rare

Paper Planes tells the story of an 11-year-old outback boy's quest to win a spot in the paper plane-flying championships in Sydney and Japan.

Director Robert Connolly had reportedly aimed to make a film for his own children, aged nine and 11, based on ideas that could "make a difference in their lives".

Oxenbould said he was drawn to the script because few Australian movies had been made specifically for children, and even fewer featuring a child as the hero.

"I felt that there aren't films like this," he said.

"I can't remember that last time I saw a film like this, which is part of the reason which is why I instantly went, 'Yep, I have do everything I can to try and get this', because it might start a new genre of Aussie kids' films, which you just don't see.

"I personally would like to see more of them."

A still shot from the Australian movie Paper Planes. ( Supplied: Roadshow Films )

His dominant memory of the shoot was, perhaps unsurprisingly, having fun with paper planes.

"All the kids pretty much made all their own planes, but there were a lot of paper planes on set.

"We had the Paper Pilots, these two great Aussie guys who the film was actually inspired by, and they've actually competed in the real-life world championships for paper planes.

"They taught us how to make planes and how to make them fly in circles, so they were always on set, flying stuff around, showing us new techniques.

"Every day they'd have something crazy to show us."

Oxenbould is well aware his feat of headlining two big-name movies at the same time, with a third in the pipeline, was quite extraordinary.

"I feel very honoured," he said.

"I just feel really lucky that I've gotten to do these things, which have led to other things, which has led me to become Australia's most successful kid."

Enjoying a 'normal' holiday at home

Having spent months at a time in the US last year filming Alexander and an upcoming movie for director M Night Shyamalan called The Visit, the Oxenbould family has been relaxing at home in Sydney and enjoying the beach over the Christmas holidays.

Ed has been taking his mind off the movies by cooking.

"I have a real interest in baking," he said.

Ed Oxenbould loves to bake. ( Supplied: Di Adams )

"I'd love to go to culinary school, that's actually my plan, to graduate high school and go to culinary school.

"Yesterday I made a pie for my friend to try, I also baked dinner.

"That's really what I love doing during the holidays and weekends and spare time."

He took his family and a schoolmate along to the premiere of Paper Planes in Sydney on Tuesday night.

"I don't have a massive group of friends at school, I only have about three or four friends and they're all really cool with it.

"They've all seen Alexander and they really enjoyed it, which is great."

Oxenbould is also a prolific reader.

"I love reading, I really enjoy it. I read books quite fast, which kind of annoys me but I like it at the same time, because I can read a book in a day."

Proud parents surprised by success

Ed has attributed his success to his actor parents Di Adams and Jamie Oxenbould, who took him to auditions and sets from an early age.

Ed pictured with his father Jamie Oxenbould. ( Supplied: Di Adams )

"It's all weird for his father and me," Adams said.

"Both being actors who have steadily worked but never had that kind of fame or success, it's strange and not what we're used to.

"But we just take everything as it comes and have met some wonderful people - directors, crew members and other 'set mums' who have given us great advice and support, so we just go with it.

"At home, he's a teenager who is fun - helpful sometimes - but can be himself which I guess is how most kids are."

The family travels together to Ed's film production shoots and has formed a habit of buying cereal together as soon as they arrive at every new location.

"Of course we have moments of worrying if we ever should have let him do this, but so much has just flowed on from each thing that we suddenly found ourselves where we are now, so it's too late anyway," Adams said.

"We feel at the moment that he has a good head on his shoulders and he had some great role models - the kids who played his siblings in Alexander, who have been acting since they were young, are the most delightful kids.

"So he learned a great deal about humility and being grateful and having to do all that comes with being in a movie.

Ed Oxenbould shopping for cereal with his family in Philadelphia, before filming The Visit. ( Supplied: Di Adams )

"As soon as he starts to behave in a negative way, we just won't let him do it anymore.

"We have control while he's a kid."

The life of a movie star

There have been plenty of new roles offered his way, but Oxenbould happily admits he has no major plans for 2015, just yet.

"We don't know what's going to happen, we don't know where we'll be going, we don't know what we'll be doing," he said.

"If any great projects come up and I happen to get those, I'd love to take a break away from school.

"But mainly this year is probably going to just be school."