'Home Sweet Home Alone': Aisling Bea says Archie Yates is 'mini Tom Cruise' with stunts (exclusive)

Watch: Aisling Bea and Archie Yates on slapstick and Christmas movies

Aisling Bea says Home Sweet Home Alone star Archie Yates was like "a mini Tom Cruise" who did all of his own stunts, suggesting the Mission: Impossible producers could come knocking.

Yates plays pre-teen Max in the movie, who has to defend his home from burglars — played by Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper — after his family inadvertently leave him behind.

"I did pretty much all of my stunts," said the 12-year-old star in a chat with Yahoo Entertainment UK.

Read more: How does Home Sweet Home Alone link to the original?

He added: "That was so fun to do and I think I am going to request to do all of my stunts from now on."

Bea, who plays Max's mother in the movie, said she was impressed by her co-star's action man credentials.

She said: "He's a mini Tom Cruise. You're about as tall as Tom Cruise already and, in fact, he might even start doing Tom Cruise's stunts if the Mission: Impossible people are watching."

Read more: Best Christmas movies of the 21st century

Bea also joked that the repetition value of Christmas movies means that Yates will have a timeless quality and effectively stay a child forever.

"You'll be forever young, kept in your porcelain doll box," Bea said, suggesting he could be wheeled out every year.

She added: "I think it's so hard to find someone who wasn't a superfan of [Home Alone films]. They sit at a time where there wasn't a million movies to watch.

"It was such a destination to go to the cinema at Christmas and watch something and then it's repeated all the time, so this franchise sits in people's hearts a lot more."

Yates broke out as a star of the future with his performance in Taika Waititi's Second World War comedy Jojo Rabbit and was cast to lead Home Sweet Home Alone.

Read more: Jojo Rabbit cast discuss limits of comedy

"I fell in love with Archie when I saw him in Jojo Rabbit and thought he had to be our kid lead," said director Dan Mazer, adding that he put a great deal of effort into shooting the slapstick moments.

"I was very keen to make sure that it wasn't a CGI fest and as much of it was done practically as possible, which I'm not sure I told the actors in the process of drawing them into the movie."

Home Sweet Home Alone is available to stream via Disney+ now after premiering as part of the Disney+ Day celebrations on 12 November.

Watch: Trailer for Home Sweet Home Alone