Saoirse and Margot’s scene brought crew to tears

THE director of the eagerly awaited Mary Queen of Scots movie has revealed how actress Saoirse Ronan and co-star Margot Robbie reduced the film crew to tears with their brilliant acting.

The period film is already generating major Oscar buzz ahead of its release here on January 18. Saoirse, 24, pictured, takes the title role, while Australian actress Margot, 28, plays her cousin Queen Elizabeth.

However, during the shoot, Saoirse was largely in Scotland while Margot filmed in England. Director Josie Rourke told the Access website that the stars were kept apart on the day they finally met each other for their single shared scene in the film.

She said: ‘That day they didn’t see each other. In fact, they had not seen each other in full make-up and hair and in costume until that point where they actually see each other in film... So, although they knew each other and we did some of the court scenes together, we really didn’t touch that big scene.’

The 42-year-old British director added: ‘What we did that day was created tension by making sure it’s not until Saoirse rips back that curtain and they look eye to eye that they see each other for the first time.’

Josie said the reaction to their powerful performance from the crew on set was emotional. ‘Everybody started crying,’ she said. ‘The hardest nut on that set started crying, because they were so extraordinary.’

The two actresses are already being tipped to get Oscar nominations after the film premiered in Los Angeles in recent days.

Three-times Oscar-nominee Saoirse has won enthusiastic reviews in her role as the titular Scottish monarch.