Actress proud to become 'honorary' Scot for new country movie that captures the 'heart of Glasgow

She was born in Ireland and made her name on the London stage. But after starring in new film Wild Rose, Jessie Buckley is proud to have become an honorary Scot.

The actress has wowed fans all over the world with her stunning turn as Rose-Lynn Harlan, a fiery Scots single mum desperate to throw off her past as an ex-convict and become a country music superstar.

For the movie, Jessie got to tear the roof off the Glasgow Grand Ole Opry and the historic Ryman theatre in Tennessee. And she was just as nervous taking on the beloved Scots venue as the home of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton.

The film, which stars Julie Walters as Rose-Lynn’s long-suffering mum, has been a hit at screenings all over the world. But Jessie said she was most nervous when it premiered in Scotland at the Glasgow Film Festival last month.

And it means a lot to see Scottish audiences take to the character and film.

Jessie added: “Of all the places we’ve shown it, this means the most. We did a cast and crew screening a few months ago and I didn’t realise how nervous I was until afterwards this woman from Glasgow gave me a big hug and I exploded into tears. I was sobbing.

“So much heart has gone into the film and the heart of Glasgow has gone into this film. I hope I’ve done you guys proud. I hope it connects with you.”

The movie is the project of Scottish screenwriter and country music fan Nicole Taylor, who worked on hit series including The Hour, Indian Summers and The C Word before winning multiple awards for the BBC mini-series Three Girls, which was about the Rochdale child abuse scandal.

When director Tom Harper, who had worked with Jessie, 29, on TV series War and Peace, was given the Wild Rose gig, he asked her to take the lead role.

She added: “He said, ‘I’ve been sent this and I only want to do it with you’.

“I was nervous of why Tom chose me from War and Peace, where I played a nun-like character, to play someone like Rose-Lynn. He must have seen me unleashed on karaoke or something. That’s the fun of my job – unlocking the nuances of these people.”

Jessie started out in musicals and was runner-up on BBC talent show I’ll Do Anything before crossing over to TV drama. As well as War and Peace, her credits include Taboo, The Woman in White and The Last Post.

She added: “I hadn’t really been a country fan before. I’ve always loved blues and folk and jazz and stuff but it was a nice new thing to get into.

“I listened to the music a lot and working with legendary musicians like Neill MacColl, Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham every two weeks was great.

“It’s all about stories and characters and you have to let yourself go and listen to what they are telling you.”

To channel Rose-Lynn, Jessie listened to the likes of Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin and Hank Williams.

But no amount of rehearsal could prepare her for a signature moment in the movie when she visits the Ryman theatre.

Jessie said: “I was standing in the same spot as Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris and all the legends. It’s a church for country music and I was singing there. It felt ghostly, like having a shadow pass over you.”

The religious experiences of Nashville were contrasted with the yeeha ruckus of the Grand Ole Opry, which is Rose-Lynn’s second home in the movie.

Built on the site of a former post office and undertakers, the venue was bought by music fan Alexander Fleming in 1974 and turned into a spit-and-sawdust country bar and club. It’s one of the most iconic country venues in Europe and has hosted cowboy gunslinger re-enactments and regular gigs.

The venue plays a key role in the film, which features real-life regulars propping up the bar. Jessie said: “I couldn’t believe the place and the passion –it’s holy and you feel that the people have come out of the murals on the wall.

“The first time we performed there, it was like a riot. It was explosive. We didn’t rehearse any of it camera-wise and it was all recorded live.

“The band were there for real, the hen party in there was for real, the women from Maryhill we’d brought down, they were there for real.

“I was doing worms on the floor and jumping off the stage into the crowd.

“We must have shot that for 12 hours – that’s a lot of energy. Every single time, they gave their whole heart and that’s pure Glasgow – they’ll never let their heart go.”

●Wild Rose is in cinemas on Friday.