Ruane was born in Glasgow and was raised in the Castlemilk area of the city , where he attended St Margaret Mary 's Secondary School . Whilst still at school and with no previous acting experience , he was selected by director Ken Loach to portray the pivotal character Pinball in the gritty drama '' Sweet Sixteen '' set in the Inverclyde area ( which has a local dialect virtually identical to that of Glasgow ) . Pinball , a volatile adolescent , was the best friend of protagonist Liam , played by fellow newcomer Martin Compston . The film was well received at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival , and Ruane received a British Independent Film Awards '' ' Most promising newcomer ' '' nomination for his performance . Compston was the winner of the same category and embarked on what would become a successful acting career
2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
William Ruane