Jessie Buckley gears up to perform country hits at live show as latest film character: ‘It’s new territory’

Jessie Buckley is the rising star with the CV of an old pro, having starred in musicals, costume dramas and films.

But she still feels nervous about her next gig — a concert where she will perform songs as the character from her new movie.

Country music star Kris Kristofferson has asked her to take part in his concert at Kenwood House next month. She will take to the stage as Rose-Lynn Harlan, the title character from Wild Rose, about a Glaswegian who dreams of becoming a country music star.

Buckley, 28, told the Standard: “Apart from doing musicals, I’ve never really done anything like this before. I have no idea what it’s going to feel like.

"I just think that the whole evening is going to be exciting — it feels like new territory.”

She added: “For me, as an actress as well, it’s a whole new challenge and adventure. At the end of the day, whether it’s on film, or on stage or for a crowd of however many at Kenwood House, my job is to make sure people have a good time and come away with a feeling and a story.”

Describing her character, Buckley said: “She’s basically a ballsy version of me. It gave me licence to be as naughty and ballsy as possible.”

Buckley stars opposite Julie Walters and Sophie Okonedo in Tom Harper’s film.

He also directed Buckley in the BBC costume drama War & Peace, where she met her former boyfriend, James Norton, who played her on-screen brother. Buckley has also appeared in The Woman In White and Taboo on the BBC, and won rave reviews for her role in indie film Beast, alongside Johnny Flynn.

Buckley rose to fame on the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything in 2008 and has starred in musicals including A Little Night Music, but had never performed country music before.

“That’s the first time that whole world had been opened up to me,” she said. “I’ve done a bit of blues before but never pure country and I’ve fallen completely and utterly in love with it.

“The fact that I’m actually going to be in the same vicinity as Kris is incredibly exciting. I’ll probably just bow my head or kiss his feet or something like that.”

Buckley is set to star in forthcoming Judy Garland biopic, Judy, opposite Renée Zellweger and is currently in Lithuania filming an HBO miniseries about the Chernobyl disaster.

Buckley said that she felt lucky to be winning such diverse roles. “At the moment there’s a real curiosity in the British industry and a desire to unearth what storytelling means to us in our society and our culture,” she said.

“There’s a focus on empowering people. But not putting a sheen over them, it’s about something real and I think writers are digging for something real.”

Buckley admitted she goes on “gut instinct” when choosing a role. “Sometimes you meet characters at certain points in your life and have a connection with them,” she said. “But I don’t like to get too complacent. I like to give myself five panic attacks per project.”

Jessie Buckley will be performing at Kenwood House on June 22. Tickets from ticketline.co.uk.