Little star Stella falls under spell of Harry Potter villain

FOR fans of the Harry Potter films, the thought of spending a week in the company of the evil Lucius Malfoy would probably be enough to make the skin crawl.

But one Capital youngster has been jumping for joy after working alongside the evil wizard - or at least the actor who has made the role his own in the Hollywood films.

Stella Hetherington, eight, has spent the last week taking part in the filming of a new detective series set in Edinburgh. The young actress managed to land a role in Case Histories, a six-part adaptation of the acclaimed Jackson Brodie novels by Edinburgh-based author Kate Atkinson.

The series, which is being produced by London's Ruby Films, stars Jason Isaacs - otherwise known as Lucius Malfoy - in the lead role of Jackson Brodie, a policeman turned private eye.

Stella, who landed the role after the production crew came to the Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville Junior School, has already had a taste of stardom, appearing in the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Playhouse last year.

And she admitted the TV show had been very different.

"They want you to do lots of different takes all the time, and it isn't like being on stage, but I've really liked it and I think it's been more fun," she said.

"I've even got my own trailer with a sofa and TV, and everyone's been really nice.

"I met Draco Malfoy's dad, Jason, and he was lovely. All my friends at school have been asking what he's like."

In the series Stella plays the role of one of four young sisters in segments of the drama set in the 1970s, and filming has been taking place around Edinburgh for the last week.

Filming of the series, which incorporates three of Atkinson's best-selling books - Case Histories, One Good Turn and When Will There Be Good News? - is expected to continue in the Capital until early next year, and the production company said they fully expected Edinburgh to be "a character" in the series, which is set to be screened on BBC1 next spring."

Stella, who lives with her mother Patricia, 46, dad Tod, 46, and brother Olle, ten, in the West End, said she hoped to continue acting.

Mrs Hetherington said they were thrilled to see Stella enjoying her acting, but her education would come first.

"It's great experience for her, and everyone has been so nice," she said. "They have driven her to the set and made sure she had anything she wanted, and it's been super.

"She's been acting since she was four and she really enjoys it, but her education is the most important thing. The school have been really supportive of her doing this, and we have been talking to a couple of agents, but we want to keep her feet on the ground and make sure she focuses on her schoolwork."