AN Oscar-winning actor toured Barrow to prepare for the leading role in an upcoming biopic about one of the town’s biggest stars.

Academy-award winning actor and theatre director Mark Rylance was shown the sights of Furness to help prepare the 61-year-old for his role in ‘The Phantom of the Open’.

The upcoming biopic depicts the life of Barrow crane driver Maurice Flitcroft, a dreamer and unrelenting optimist who managed to gain entry to the British Open Golf Championship despite having never played a round of golf.

Born in Manchester in 1929, Flitcroft captured the public’s attention by becoming known as ‘the world’s worst golfer’ - achieving a score of 121 in a qualifier of the 1976 open championship.

He became known for entering competitions under various ridiculous names and came away with outlandishly high scores.

Flitcroft lived in Barrow with his wife Jean where he became a crane operator and died in 2007.

His son James spoke to the film creators and spent time with Rylance himself last September in the lead up to filming.

“He was a real gentleman, just a lovely man,” Mr Flitcroft said.

“He was very kind and spent a lot of time here. I took him around the golf course and the beach - he loved Barrow.

“He was very knowledgeable and I think enjoyed having someone enthusiastic about Barrow show him around.”

Mr Flitcroft described the film, which is set for a November release, as a real ‘family film’.

“It’s a very nice, feel-good film,” the dad-of-two said.

“It was in the works for a few years and we were all happy for the story to be told. There’s quite a few differences in the film compared to real life but it is a film, it’s got to be entertaining.

“I think dad would be very happy with it. He was a humble man and never thought a film would be made about him. He always focussed on the present and didn’t live in the past.”

Mr Flitcroft and his twin brother Gene, who sadly died in 2010, were also portrayed in the biopic.

“I liked my portrayal,” Mr Flitcroft said.

“We had discussions before the film about what my character would look like and did a lot of research.”

Mr Flitcroft hopes the film will positively spotlight the town.

“I think it will be great for the town,” he said.

“We’re really happy with the film and hope people enjoy it too.”