SHE was the child star who stole our hearts when she lit up the big screen as the girl who grew up to become William Wallace's wife in Oscar-winning epic Braveheart.
Mhairi Calvey was just six-years-old when she starred as the young version of Catherine McCormack’s character Murron in the blockbuster starring Mel Gibson.
Calvey has fond memories of her time on the set of the film where she met a clutch of Hollywood stars and befriended Brian Cox.
Now 28, the Glasgow-born actress is the star of science-fiction conspiracy thriller Abduct, directed by visual effects expert Ilyas Kaduji of Harry Potter and The Chronicles Of Narnia fame. But it has been a difficult journey back to big movies for Calvey, who has battled debilitating depression which threatened to derail her acting career.
She spent her formative years on Arran with her mum, a jewellery designer who opened a gallery on the island. While still at the small Arran primary school, Calvey was plucked from obscurity and offered the part of Young Murron.
She said: “I remember chatting to Brian Cox when we were filming and working with Mel Gibson who directed me on the set. You learn a lot from people like that.
“After Braveheart I was invited on to the child Hollywood scene but my mum wasn’t a pushy parent so she decided I could go down that road when I was older. She’s very down to earth and has always been a good person to have at my side.”
Calvey’s mother, Dominique, took her to live in Yorkshire when she was 11-years-old but it wasn’t a happy time for the youngster. She was bullied when people realised she had acted in Braveheart and it was then she started experiencing symptoms of depression.
“I’ve always suffered it, on and off, since I was young,” Calvey said. “I think depression affects more people than people realise, and in lots of different ways. I think people that have it don’t want to talk about it because people don’t know how to respond.”
After leaving school Calvey studied drama at Guildford School of Acting, whose well-known alumni include actor Bill Nighy and singer Michael Ball.
But after graduating she experienced an acute depressive episode which prevented her from pursuing her dream of landing big roles.
Calvey said: “A long-term relationship ended, I lost my flat through that and I had no money. I also went through an operation. I was in London at the time and I had no support network around me. I was struggling to get up in the morning. I stopped taking care of myself. I thought I wasn’t worth anything.
“It was only through almost losing everything that I found someone who could help me. But it was luck that I stumbled across a good therapist at that time.”
Calvey came through that difficult period, began auditioning again and it wasn’t long before she caught the attention of Abduct director Ilyas Kaduji.
The film, which also stars William B Davis of X-Files fame, and Sienna Guillory, who had roles in fantasy adventures Resident Evil and Eragon, is now available on Amazon Prime.
Calvey said: “I play the lead role of a young girl called Crystal who is on the run from the government and deadly Alien attacks. It was an incredible experience to film, especially the green screen. That was the first time I had ever done green screen car chases and I think that was the biggest challenge.
“I think the hardest part of playing my character is that I'm playing someone who isn't quite human. I don't want to give too much away but there are lots of twists and turns.”
Calvey may have shunned the Hollywood child star circuit but her acting career has not suffered.
She is now an award-winning star having picked up the best actress gong at the Los Angeles Film Festival for her role in crime thriller TV movie Gemini. She also recently landed a part in science-fiction series Horizon.
Calvey said: “I did the period drama episode, which was incredible. We filmed in the Georgian House in Bristol on a huge set and the script was really beautifully written.
“I have also just finished filming an action film called Eden Grey where I used my training in Krav Maga martial arts and performed my own stunt fights. The character is a bit like a female Jason Bourne. I love to learn new skills, research characters and do dialogue-heavy films. I just love being an actress – I think it’s the best job in the world.”
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