In the upcoming Series 4 of Apple TV+ series Trying, Scarlett Rayner has taken over the role of Princess alongside a cast including Esther Smith and Rafe Spall. Scarlett played Young Cecilia (Tamsin Greig) in Sexy Beast for Paramount+, and in the BAFTA-nominated CBBC sci-fi series Silverpoint, she played Alice, with Series 2 airing last year. Further screen roles for Scarlett include being a guest on BBC Casualty (playing Georgie Brotherwood), co-starring as Jess in Pretty Outrageous, and she played Eternity Winter in The Gatehouse, which saw Scarlett win Best Child Actress at the 2017 Tabloid Witch Awards. Last year, Scarlett made her professional stage debut when she played Leah in Beautiful Thing at Stratford East, Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester. We caught up with Scarlett about taking over the role of Princess in Series 4 of Trying, filming as Alice in Silverpoint and making her professional stage debut last year in Beautiful Thing.
It’s been announced that you’re taking over the role of Princess for Series 4 of Trying on Apple TV+, what are you looking forward to for the release?
I can’t wait to see myself on screen with the Trying theme tune playing tbh. That will be a butterflies moment for me. It is such a charming show, and working on this fourth season has been deeply special to me, so I am very adrenalised to see our work come to life.
This season we meet Princess and Tyler at 16 and 12. They are happily settled with Nikki and Jason, but Princess starts to yearn for answers from her birth mum; leading her down a twisty, knotty path as she seeks this reunion. It’s a beautifully written storyline, interweaved with all the rest of the ingenious storylines Andy Wolton has created for this season.
What was it like on set and how was it filming opposite Esther Smith, Rafe Spall and the rest of the cast?
I mean, the whole team are ludicrously talented. And I won’t lie, it is intimidating joining a cast of this calibre, especially when you’re joining for the fourth season. But they are all such lovely people. And not to mention our extraordinary director, Ellie Heydon, holding the fort. An actual wizard. She’s so whip-smart and always created a sunny atmosphere on set.
As for Esther and Rafe; their chemistry is truly amazing to witness. And filming scenes with them is very activating because they’re always so alive and truthful in their performances, which is a gift to play off. Same goes for the rest of the cast. I was able to learn and grow so much from observing and working with them all. Lots of love for the Trying fam.
How much did you know about Trying before auditioning and how did you feel finding out you’d booked the role of Princess?
Trying was new to me when I first got submitted for it. I think it’s one of those shows which is slightly lesser known but is just adored by those who do know it. Obviously once I was in the mix for it, I did my research and quickly binged all three seasons with my dad.
For ages after my first meeting for it, I slept with this little piece of paper from my audition under my pillow; I’m big on lucky charms (I also took one of my cat’s claws in my pocket every time I went in). It then went silent for two months before they recalled me again…
The final round was a chemistry test with Esther, Rafe and Sian Brooke. I cried on the bus home because I had a feeling it hadn’t gone my way. But five days later, I was woken up by a call from my agent, who told me it in fact had. I did have to physically pinch myself, to be sure, as I was half asleep. And then I jumped up and down on my bed, but quietly because of my flatmates.
My dad was my absolute right-hand man in this process, so I had to tell him the news first. I called him to meet me for lunch, so I could tell him in person. We went for a celebratory Pizza Express on Liverpool St and suddenly there’s all this commotion on the street right outside… somebody is getting out of a car. Who might that be? Of all the people? Kate Middleton. As in the PRINCESS of Wales.
You’ve recently been seen on screen playing Young Cecilia (Tamsin Greig) in the Paramount+ series Sexy Beast, what was this like to film?
The original film with Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone is iconic, so to be a teeny part of this prequel was very cool. Cecilia Logan is Don Logan’s cold-blooded older sister and I play young Cecilia in a flashback, where Don recalls a traumatising event from their childhood. Though brief, the scene is integral to the plot and very dark — lots of fun to play. Rachel Freck cast me in this, and then she cast me in Trying just a few months later, so I am really grateful for her and for this canon event in my career!
How would you describe your character Alice in CBBC’s Silverpoint and what was she like to play?
Silverpoint Season 1 is set in a summer camp in Northern Ireland, ran by the McConnells. My character, Alice, and her partner in crime, Finn (Jordan Adene), are close friends with the McConnells’ daughter, Bea (Aoife Hughes), and come up from London to the camp every year. Alice is a bit older than Bea and doesn’t let her forget it. Her maternal instinct lends itself to her caring nature, but she can also be bossy at times — especially towards Finn. I am very grateful for Alice, it was a lovely introduction to television for me.
How was it seeing the fan response to Silverpoint and returning to set to film last year’s Series 2?
Well, it was wonderful that Season 1 got nominated for two BAFTAs! Although I really can’t take any credit for that. Returning to film Season 2 was seriously so much fun. I had less to do this season, and that worked for me because I was starting uni at the time. So it was a lot of flying back and forth from Leeds to Northern Ireland. Being reunited with the OG cast and getting to spend loads of time with them was AMAZING. And there were lots of new cast too, who we bonded with very quickly. The actual filming was just the cherry on top.
What are some of your favourite highlights from your time playing Alice and working on a CBBC sci-fi series?
The first season took five months to film in Northern Ireland during lockdown. I’d just turned 18 and had to do my A-Levels in my Irish bedroom so it was a unique experience, and life-changing in many ways. Our “girls’ house” was haunted and spider infested, but I have a lot of fond memories there. Off set, we just constantly played Psych! and Dobble, sang karaoke and ate cheese. Group scenes and night shoots were always a laugh.
Can you tell us about your guest character Georgie Brotherwood in Casualty and how was it filming your storyline?
Georgie is a minx. She’s good friends with Faith’s daughter, Natalia (Zoe Brough), who has to rush Georgie to hospital after a skateboarding accident. Georgie is a bad influence on Natalia — very boy-orientated and rebellious. I was delighted with this opportunity, as they say Casualty is a rite of passage for actors.
In 2017, you co-starred as Jess in the feature film Pretty Outrageous, do you have any stand-out memories from working on the film and being part of the cast?
I was 13, filming a feature in Los Angeles with some of my best friends for a few weeks. What more can you ask for? My most stand-out memory is that there was this place called Tammy’s that baked sensational fresh chocolate chip muffins every morning. I also almost drowned whilst filming a surfing montage. Referred to that as an NDE many a time.
What do you remember most from playing Eternity Winter in The Gatehouse and what was it like winning Best Child Actress at the 2017 Tabloid Witch Awards?
Meowing at everyone. Yeah, I was that kid. And I knew everyone’s lines. By everyone I basically mean my co-star Simeon Willis, who played my dad. It was my first time on a film set, and I was getting to miss the first couple weeks of year 7 for it. I remember loving it.
How did you find the experience making your professional stage debut last year as Leah in Beautiful Thing?
Electrifying. My favourite experience in life ever probably. When I got the audition through, I had just started on Trying. I wasn’t sure about it at first, because I was just so pre-occupied by Trying, but after my first meeting with Isabella Odoffin, my interest was certainly piqued. I had three meetings total for it, and by the last, I knew I needed some Leah in my life. I was ecstatic when they offered me the job but at the same time I was petrified, as theatre felt so alien to me. But I made a promise to myself to savour every second, and that I did.
Was there anything that drew you to the role of Leah and how was it getting into character?
You know what, I think I have a soft spot for characters who are outrageously rude but are secret sweethearts. Distilling my love for Leah in a succinct way is difficult… I was initially drawn in by her eccentricity and spiky attitude, but it was her loneliness that allowed me to access her truthfully and find her heart. Beautiful Thing is just so, so brilliantly written, so it was a joy to bring alive; especially opposite such a PHENOMENAL cast. I absolutely loved the rehearsal process and thoroughly enjoyed the journey of discovering my character.
What was it like performing with the show at Stratford East, Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester and how did you feel on your final performance?
Each venue offered quite a different experience. Stratford East was where we rehearsed and birthed our production so it will forever have a special place in my heart. It also has a really cosy living room feel to it I think. But Leeds Playhouse was my favourite theatre to play in; it was cool to be back in the city I went to uni in (albeit for only two months) and the Playhouse venue was so wonderful and welcoming. We finished the run in Manchester; Shvorne Marks (who played Sandra) and I both broke down into tears at the final curtain call.
How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do?
I do believe it’s something I always wanted to do. I was no stranger to performing when I was little. A classic example would be singing for my parents’ dinner party guests (albeit making them all close their eyes or me standing behind a door). When I was nine, I met a girl called Isabella Blake-Thomas at a circus club, who was a child actress. It was because of her, and her mum Elizabeth, that I got introduced to the world of professional acting.
What are some of your favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch and how do you like to spend your free time?
The Witches at the National made me sob happy tears because it was that AMAZING, it was actually hilarious (especially the kid who played Bruno). I also went to see Stranger Things on stage and that was a real spectacle. And For Black Boys. As for TV — big fan of Black Mirror, The Fall, White Lotus, Squid Game. Basically all the twisty thrillers. But I also watch more highbrow stuff like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Love Is Blind.
Do you have any further acting projects coming up that you can tell us about and what are you hoping this year brings for you?
It’s quiet at the moment but I am keeping busy with bits and bobs, and using the time to work on myself and my craft. I would love, love, love to do more theatre this year.
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