A talented six-year-old from Northumberland has just completed a role in her second feature film, flying back from a shoot with a Hollywood director in Latvia hot on the heels of working alongside Oscar winner Danny Boyle.
Sienna Giblin, from Stocksfield, is proving a natural in front of the camera and has already bagged movie opportunities which many established actors can only dream of – not that she’ll be able to watch herself on the big screen when the films are released as neither will come with a U or PG certificate.
Proud mam Kristy says they will have to wait until their transfer to streaming services before Sienna can have a chance to see her scenes, with some careful fast-forwarding through anything unsuitable that is. “We’ll skip through bits not meant for little eyes.”
Her daughter’s movie debut is in Boyle’s North East-made 28 Years Later, his zombie flick sequel, which comes out in June. She landed her role through London-based acting agency Rotten Orphans which both she and her 12-year-old sister Anya – who are also members of the Stocksfield Junior Players drama group – recently signed up to and so far they have appeared in TV commercials, including an advert for Adidas. “I’m super-proud of them,” says Kristy.
They had initially approached talent agencies after the girls had done a little modelling. While Anya has more interest in that, Sienna loves the chance to act, so much so that none of their family or friends was particularly surprised at her sudden escalation to the spotlight. “She’s always loved performing and acting.”
Sienna was put forward for 28 Years Later by her agent upon hearing the film team was on the lookout for a northern child of that age. Kristy didn’t accompany her into the casting room and says: “When she came out she said ‘I’ve just met Danny Boyle’ and I was thinking ‘you probably didn’t, it was probably a man who works for him’.”
But the director had been involved and there followed glowing reports before a wait for news which confirmed Sienna had been picked out from among all the applicants. There followed a “wonderful couple of days”, with Kristy staying with Sienna at Charlton Hall near Alnwick during which they ferried by car back and forth to the rural Northumberland set.
(Image: Anya Giblin)
Here, the film’s post-apocalypse premise involves a community living on an island and it’s here, set apart from the mainland, that the children have spent their whole lives and everyone wears clothes that have been recycled and reused. Sienna had just a small part in this film, including appearances in background scenes but also a few words, and while Kristy has lots of photos of her daughter in costume, she can’t share them just yet as the film’s look will be revealed only when it hits the big screen. Already it’s being talked about as a Oscar contender for next year.
Nor can Kristy reveal much about Sienna’s far greater role – requiring more dialogue and acting – in her second movie. Having just returned from shooting scenes for it in Latvia, she is not allowed to talk about it, other than to say it’s with a Hollywood director and has some big names in the cast.
After Sienna, who fit the requirements for look and accent, then impressed the casting director and film director in a zoom ‘interview’, she was awarded the part and Kristy accompanied her daughter on the journey to Latvia, having the flexibility to take time off from The Pudding Parlour dessert parlour, which she runs in Prudhoe with brother Greg, while husband Rob took care of Anya at home. While modelling, not acting is more of interest to her elder daughter, there was some envy over a two-week trip abroad.
The two were collected from the airport and put up in a hotel in the capital of Riga over the fortnight and again Sienna loved her experience on a film set. The shoot went well and, undeterred by the bigger role, she rose to the occasion and helped seal scenes in one take.
Sienna, who goes to Broomley First School in Stocksfield, also had her lessons on set. Then, at the end, she was waved off with lots of praise and a farewell gift.
“She was treated like a little princess, it was a magical experience.” And it is one that has created lasting memories, she adds.
Kristy admits that, as everything snowballed, she thoroughly enjoyed it all too, saying “I’ve had a blast!” She and her husband are not pushy parents in any way so have no big plans for Sienna. Kristy just says: “She loves it.
“She has a natural ability and she enjoys it so, while she’s enjoying it, we’ll see where it takes us,” she adds, joking that hopefully next time it will be “somewhere hot!”
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/young-actress-stocksfield-northumberland-sienna-31194793
