Following the March release of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, some of Oscar Novak’s friends cornered him at school with a pressing question: Was that you on the big-screen?

The 12-year-old admitted that, yes, it was him starring as a young Bruce Wayne in the Warner Bros. film, a confirmation that also revealed an occupation he’d kept to himself. “They had no clue that I was in The Batman or even an actor,” Novak told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday night outside Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre, host of The Northman premiere. “Then I had to go through the whole thing of explaining it to them. So, it’s a little bit awkward but yeah, it’s very cool.”

Novak, 12, offered up a simple reason for why he kept his big-screen debut a secret: “I thought it would be too much hassle.” Fortunately, for him, he says the burden wasn’t too heavy back at his school in England, though he’s bracing himself for another round.

Only one friend knows that he followed up The Batman by playing the young version of Alexander Skarsgård’s character in The Northman for director Robert Eggers. That’s because they spotted him in the trailer as young Amleth, a vicious Viking prince who spends the majority of the film seeking to avenge his father’s murder.

“I know it’s going to be very difficult, but I’ll do my best to explain it to them,” he says, adding that he was able to sneak away because the premiere coincided with Easter holiday break.

As for his work on The Northman, Novak praised Eggers for guiding his process and being a consummate professional. “He really is a perfectionist. There have been multiple occasions where we’ve done like 30 plus takes just to get the perfect scene. But he’s really sweet. He’s really nice in the way he does it,” says Novak. “He can tell if someone needs a break. It’s very nice.”

The back-to-back projects landed Novak a new agent so he may soon have more to divulge to his classmates. “There’s a lot more on my plate. I’ve got auditions coming in left, right and center.”

The Northman hits theaters in the U.S. on April 22.

Young Bruce Wayne actor Oscar Novak revealed that none of his friends at school knew he played a part in #TheBatman before they saw the film pic.twitter.com/RAxXKYBNiF

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 20, 2022