HOLLYWOOD star Gillian Anderson took time out during a break from filming her latest movie for a chat and a hug with a young fan with a rare genetic condition.

After spotting details of filming in Minehead for The Salt Path on Facebook, a family decided to pop along to see if there was an opportunity for one young fan to meet Ms Anderson in person.

But for Alfred, aged eight, it wasn’t all about a secret love of X-Files or her other films.

Alfred has a rare genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1 for short, and features on the website for the Childhood Tumour Trust – alongside Gillian, who is a supporter of NF1 charities due to a family link with the condition.

The meeting came as The Salt Path cast and crew broke for lunch in Minehead and Alfred approached the Hollywood star for a photo.

Gillian duly obliged and was delighted to meet him and asked lots of questions about Alfred’s condition and his treatment, including discussing new medication which has recently become available to treat young NF1 patients with inoperable tumours in the UK.

After a hug and a photo to share with the charity, Alfred met the film’s other star, Jason Isaacs, to finish off a star-studded afternoon.

A post on Alfred's Facebook page said he had enjoyed a "truly fab day", which also included visiting Minehead's new lifeboat station, tucking into a cream tea and beating his mother, Catherine Hickman, at crazy golf.

NF1 causes tumours to grow along your nerves. The tumours are usually non-cancerous (benign) but may cause a range of symptoms.