Teen actor Faiz Shakir got a gratifying surprise when he spotted himself on the cover of a popular young adult novel.“I didn’t even know it was out there,” the Berkeley Institute S3 student recalled. “I didn’t know when it was going to be published. I did the picture, and I thought that was it.”The photo shoot for the popular Bluford High series had been just another job for the 15-year-old.It was done while he was living in New York City and attending the Barbizon School of Modelling.A teacher there encouraged him to sign up with New York Castings. The website landed him on the cover of book 14 in the series , ‘No Way Out’, by publishing giant Scholastic.The series, which centres around events in an inner-city high school, sells in stores around the world including Bermuda.Faiz will perform in the Berkeley Student Council’s Star Search Bermuda on Friday.His routine for the talent show is, for now, “a trade secret”, he said.“Once you get on stage, you forget your nervousness,” said Faiz.His hope is to combine his love of acting with his interest in psychology in later studies.He got his start in a Saltus school play at the age of 12.The Pembroke teen was exposed to a dazzling array of shows after he moved to New York.He performed in four productions while there, and most recently in ‘Hamlet’ at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Lower Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.Shakespeare is a favourite.Among Faiz’s store of monologues is Macbeth’s famous “Is this a dagger before me?” speech.But like most people of his age he was raised with Harry Potter books and films as a backdrop. Faiz counts Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe among the artists he admires.“I used to act out Harry Potter scenes back in school with my friends,” he said. “Acting just became a part of me.”Next week’s show in the Berkeley Cafetorium starts at 7.30pm. Prizes of $500 will be given to the top male, female and group performers.