Brian Cox has hailed an 11-year-old rising star as "astounding" after her performance in his directorial debut.
Alexandra Wilkie from Blantyre stars as Sasha in Glenrothan, a comedy drama about family, conflict, and whisky starring Cox and Alan Cumming, and has been personally praised by Cox.
Brian Cox said: "The wonderful Alexandra Wilkie – our little star.
"This girl is truly amazing.
"I want to do another film with Alexandra Wilkie because she is astounding.
"Everyone thinks she's American, but she's actually a farmer's daughter from Blantyre.
"She has a perfect American accent.
"You would absolutely never know she wasn’t a natural-born Yank.
"She is truly gifted and a joy to work with."
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Alexandra landed the part after being spotted in a pantomime in Giffnock and was later brought to Brian Cox’s attention by a casting agent.
She worked with a dialect coach to develop a Chicago accent for the role.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and has since opened doors for Alexandra to travel and appear at international screenings and events.
Alexandra said: "It has been an amazing experience.
"To be honest, I hadn’t heard of Brian Cox before this, but he was so welcoming and kind and so easy to talk to, which was really helpful."
Alexandra and her mum, Kimberley, travelled to Canada for the Toronto premiere and later attended the 37th Palm Springs International Film Festival in California.
She even watched as Alan Cumming received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Alexandra said: "Travelling to exciting places such as the film festivals in Toronto and Palm Springs was great, and being in Hollywood was a dream come true.
"It’s the first time I've been to Los Angeles.
"I love to see new places, and it’s even cooler when you get to go to a movie premiere there as well.
"I could never imagine I would ever get to go on a red carpet.
"I thought it was going to be quite scary, but I had a lady helping me through all the photos and interviews.
"People were so kind to me, and that helped me to relax and enjoy it."
Alexandra's mum, Kimberley, has praised both Cox and Cumming for showing genuine care and support throughout the production and beyond.
She said: "Alan and Brian have been very caring and kind to Alexandra, and very accommodating to me.
"It’s a brand-new industry for me, but they have been great with us."
Despite the rising star's busy schedule, filming did not interrupt Alexandra's studies.
Kimberley said: “I am so proud of how she has handled everything.
"She was treated like an A-list celebrity on set and had lots of people around her all the time, from make-up to sound technicians and a chaperone.
"There was also a tutor provided to make sure she didn’t fall behind with her school work, and she had to do a minimum of four hours on a one-to-one basis if she was to be on set all day."
Alexandra, who can also be seen in the remake of the BBC children’s series Balamory as Bonnie, is now focused on her studies, completing her Transitus Year Programme at Hamilton College before moving into the Senior School after the summer.
She hopes to continue performing both on screen and stage in future.
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Alexandra said: "Hamilton College is a great school and I’m so glad they have helped me and supported me through all of this.
"I will hopefully get to do more movies and TV shows in the future, but I would also like to carry on performing on stage as I really enjoy singing, dancing and acting."
Richard Charman, headteacher at Hamilton College, said: "Alexandra’s success is a wonderful reflection of her talent and dedication.
"At Hamilton College, we are proud to support pupils in pursuing their passions alongside their education, and it has been a privilege to see Alex thrive both in the classroom and on such an exciting international stage."
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