REAL LIFE: 'I've got bulging biceps - at just 12'

'I'm off school and in training at the moment. My agent is negotiating a three-movie deal and we're hoping to start shooting next year. The first film is Tiny Tarzan, about a boy who is raised by chimps after he is shipwrecked on an island, and the second, The Boy King, is about the son of an Egyptian Pharaoh who has a magic medallion, then there'll be a sequel to that.

My personal trainer visits three times a week and then I do a daily 45-minute work-out with my mom, including martial arts and crunches. I'm working on my abdominals at the moment. I love the movies. I'm not into body building any more, I never really was. I always just wanted to be an actor who is also in great shape. I was born in the Ukraine and was six months old when I started working out. My dad was a martial arts instructor and body builder and my mom was into aerobics. When I was a baby she'd do stretching exercises with me, stretching my legs and arms. It sounds pretty wild. By three I was doing gymnastics and by the time I was five years old I was really training and would lift small weights. I enjoyed it, but it's not the only thing I do. I also play the guitar - I had three lessons - and classical piano, which I taught myself. I can play Debussy's Claire De Lune, but I did buy a book with my allowance to learn the Hercules song.

Little Hercules is my nickname because when I was eight I could bench- press 200lbs (14 stone), which made me, pound for pound, the strongest person in the world. I made quite a few appearances on TV at the time, on things like The Howard Stern Show. People would stop me and say, "Hey, are you Little Hercules?" I'd be like, "Yeah, I am. My real name is Richard Sandrak though." I'd do guest appearances at body building shows so people assumed that's what I wanted to be. But from the age of seven I dreamt of being an actor. I love Johnny Depp, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, but also people like Anthony Hopkins. I have two acting classes a week at the moment. I'll probably study acting after I leave school. Before I die, I want to be as popular as Arnie.

Until last year, I was schooled at home with my sister Anastasia, who's six. Mom's a good teacher, but she wanted me to have more experience outside home. I enjoy school, but a lot of the other kids criticise me. But I don't really like to talk about it. Sometimes I get emails to my website full of criticism. People say the pictures are fake or that I take steroids. I was shocked to begin with, but decided they're just jealous. I also get a lot of good messages from people too, wanting tips on nutrition and training, which I'm happy to answer. There are a lot of overweight kids in America - and at my school - and if I can help them get fit, I'd like that. I never eat burgers. Sausages are the only fattening food I've ever liked. I prefer things like chicken, fruit and vegetables. I get emails from girls, too. I got a really weird one from England the other day saying, "Saw your picture. Do you have a girlfriend? Reply soon. I love you loads." I don't know whether to reply or not. I broke up with my girlfriend a month ago. She dumped me. I don't want to talk about her. I enjoy school and got four As and one B in seventh grade. I got a couple of bad grades in my hardest subjects, English and History. My favourite subjects are Philosophy and PE. I'll have a teacher on set when we start shooting the movie so I can keep up with my work. If the movie is a success and we make a lot of money, it would help pay our bills. I get pounds 20-30 allowance a week at the moment. Then, when we're rich, with millions - billions even - we'll have a huge mansion, and maybe I'll have a Ferrari and a Corvette. Most of all I just want my family to be happy and to thank my mom for giving me the chance to get into the movies. I'm also keen on charity work. I'd like to help kids, give every kid a chance, give everybody a chance. Maybe I'll have parties for them. We live just outside LA at the moment, downtown LA has lots of children that need help.'

Richard's mum, Lena Sandrak,

32, says:

'Richard is so grown up for his age. I'm proud of him and it's nice to see him growing up so happy and smart.

I moved to the States from the Ukraine when I was 23 with Richard's father. We're not together any more and I don't hear from him. We thought there were more opportunities in America than back home. Me and Richard's dad used to work at home and we were his role models, I suppose. I used to do stretching exercises with him when he was a baby, to help his flexibility. Then when he was a few years older, he started lifting little weights and then got into martial arts, which my husband used to teach. He can now do 135 punches and 137 kicks in 15 seconds. I look after his diet, but we have regular check ups at the doctors for blood and bone age tests, to make sure his body is being given the chance to develop properly. He trains only one body part for 30 minutes per day to allow each muscle to have the proper amount of time to rest and grow.

He never wanted to be a body builder, to show off his muscles, he's working out to get his body in shape for the movie role at the moment. Richard is doing what he wants to do. He gets a lot of emails from England, especially from girls. He's had a few girlfriends, but he's only 12. He's had fan mail since he was eight so he's used to it. He's focused on his acting and can't wait to start.

I hope Richard's dreams come true. But he's still young and who knows what his future will hold? In a few years he could decide he wants to be a fireman. It's his health and happiness that matter most.'

Joey Travolta, brother of John is the director of Tiny Tarzan. He says:

'I met Richard when he came to an acting workshop I run for kids in LA. At first I didn't know what to make of him. I'd seen his picture in a magazine before that and thought, "Oh God! A body- building kid!" But when I got to know him personally and learnt about all his other talents - like playing classical piano - I realised how mature and worldly he is. He has a softer personality than you'd imagine. He has vulnerability, likeability, European values, and an old soul. The movie was written for him because I knew he was right for something, and that he'd be a big success.'

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