Dubliner Lorraine Pilkington was also "plucked from school by Susie Figgis" for her first acting experience, at the age of 15. She was chosen for the lead role in Neil Jordan's film The Miracle.

Now 23, she has not found it easy to break into the world of adult roles.

"It didn't matter how much puppy fat I lost and how many glamorous clothes I wore, people still typecast me as a rebellious teenager. I played a 17-year-old in The Last Of The High Kings when I was 21. It's great if you can still get away with it but at 21 you're an adult and you want parts with more depth. It was especially difficult to make the transition in the small acting community of Dublin, so I came to London."