Former Shortland Street star cast in major Hollywood movie

Former Shortland Street actor Beulah Koale has been cast in a major Hollywood feature. Photo / supplied

Former Shortland Street star Beulah Koale has been cast in a major Hollywood feature produced by DreamWorks.

Koale will star as a soldier who served in Iraq, in the drama Thank You For Your Service, directed by American Sniper writer Jason Hall, reports The Wrap.

The film marks the directorial debut for Hall, who received an Oscar nomination for American Sniper this year.

Born and raised in Auckland's Otara, Koale is of Samoan descent and will play an American Samoan character, based on the real life story of solider Tausolo Aieti.

Former Shortland Street actor Beulah Koale has been cast in a major Hollywood feature. Photo / supplied

Aieti saved two comrades in the Iraq war but struggled to cope with the death of a third, whom he was unable to save.

The story is based on the a non-fiction book by David Finkel, which follows a group of soldiers who return from Iraq, haunted by the things they have seen and done in the war.

Koale is the latest in a long line of Shortland Street talent who have made the move to Hollywood, including Dean O'Gorman, who stars in the upcoming feature Trumbo, opposite Bryan Cranston.

He is also set to feature in the family drama The Cul-de-Sac, opposite fellow Shortland Street star KJ Apa, coming to TV2 next year.