AN up-and-coming actress has landed a role in one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters of the year.

Linda Louise Duan, who is from Colchester, plays the part of Tina Minoru in the film Doctor Strange.

The latest film from Marvel stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor and is the first introducing Dr Stephen Strange, a brilliant neural surgeon whose life changes after a car accident.

Linda plays the part of Tina Minoru.

She said: “In the comics she’s a pretty important character but in this film she has the tiniest of cameos.”

The former Colchester County High School For Girls student got the part of Tina in a series of events which would probably make a good film plot in itself.

After a couple of years training at theatre schools in London and France, Linda found herself working on a physical theatre multi-media project in Israel when she got the call from a film producer.

She said: “I had put my details on this movie database for actors and that’s pretty much how they found me.

“She said they were looking for someone a bit like me and wondered whether I could fly back to London for an audition.

“At the time I had no idea what it was for so I asked whether I could just send them a video and she replied ‘Not really. I think you’re going to want to come back for this one’.”

Linda took part in a series of auditions with actors from all over the world, including a few who had flown in from Japan especially for the chance to be in the film.

She said: “It was all really weird.

“I still didn’t know what it was for but as the process went on I was getting more clues as to what it might be.

“Eventually I got given the part and I just couldn’t believe it was true.

“I’m in a scene with Tilda Swinton, who plays the Ancient One, and on the first day on set she was so lovely, coming up and introducing herself and making us all feel really welcome.”

Linda’s acting career started off at a Saturday morning drama club in Stanway.

She later got involved with the Chinese School, which is held at Thomas Lord Audley School in the town.

Linda said: “It was while there that I met Hui Ling, who used to be with the Chinese State Circus and runs her own entertainment business.

“She got me involved in some parades and I was part of the team on the red carpet for the Kung Fu Panda film.

“I’ve also been doing martial arts since I was 14 at Colchester JKA karate club and that was one of the things the film makers were looking for, a young woman with my ethnicity who could also do martial arts.”

Linda is excited about her marvel-lous role.

She said: “Tina is the mother of Nico, who is a really big character in the Marvel Universe.

“There are all kinds of rumours about possible projects involving her.

“I know nothing I’m afraid. It’s just exciting to be involved with such a huge film, however small my part in it is.”

Doctor Strange is on national release tomorrow.