Rising star has been cast as war hero

Amber Hodgkiss, has been deemed “one to watch” by the team behind the BAFTAs, will play Margery Booth in an as yet unnamed project centre around her daring exploits during the Second World War.

A renowned opera singer who performed regularly in Germany before the war and who famously hid secret documents in her knickers to sneak them out of the country and pass to the British intelligence agencies.

The film project is still in planning stages, but writers Prince Frederick Von Saxe-Lauenberg, Ralph Harvey and Franz Von Habsburg have been given a boost by getting former James Bond director Peter Davies on board.

Amber said: “The script is beautifully written. I love the fact its based on true events and also that Margery is from Wigan. I’m sure its going to be very rare that there will be a female lead from my home town in a feature.

“I’m a huge history fan so anything set in an era or period piece automatically makes me more interested. There are some great actors and crew attached to the project also, and some of the locations are incredible.”

Meanwhile, the Wigan actress, who grew up in Hindley, has been enroled on The Newcomers Program, a two-year new talent initiative, recognizing and supporting rising UK stars who have recently moved to Los Angeles to further their development and career.

The 24-year-old has also been cast in a short period drama, Speak, and a film, Eleven Eleven, about a same sex relationship.

She is also to star as Wigan war spy Margery Booth in a film which is in its initial stages.

Amber said: “I am thrilled to be on the BAFTA newcomers ‘one to watch’ list, as thousands apply and only 20 of us in the country get chosen.

“It’s a select group of people, that BAFTA choose to be part of a program. They mentor us and look after us as they believe we are the next ‘big things.’

“I have a few things lined up. I am flying to Virginia next month to start work on a period television mini series which I can’t really say too much about at the minute.

“I am also working in Seattle for a new film.”

Amber, a former Winstanley College, student is also excited about returning to her roots to play Wigan-born Margery Booth, an opera singer for Adolf Hitler, who hid secret documents in her knickers to pass on to a British spy.

From an early age she starred in the children’s BBC 1 programme, Grange Hill, for a number of years and has also appeared in Hollyoaks, ITV drama Leaving, starring Helen McCrory and a Sky Atlantic show called Bedlam.

Over in the US she has also starred in Little Soldier in 2013.

She has also done modelling work, working for Selfridges, Vogue Italia and Harvey Nichols.