Charlotte
took her boyfriend Steven Johnson
|
Teenage singer Charlotte Church has attended
the premiere of her debut film in her home town of
Cardiff.
I'll Be There is a musical comedy written
specifically for the 17-year-old star, who shot to
fame as a child prodigy classical music singer in
the 1990s.
Church stars as Olivia, a Cardiff newspaper
delivery girl who finds out her father is an 1980s
pop star and launches a singing career against the
wishes of her mother.
Church attended the film's premiere at the UCI
cinema in Cardiff Bay on Monday, ahead of the film's
general release later in the month.
Around 200 fans turned up to greet the star, who
arrived with boyfriend Steven Johnson.
It's really cool - lots of
my friends are here
|
She told BBC Wales News Online: "Olivia, the
character I play in the film, is quite similar to
me, although I would like to try (acting with) a
different accent.
"Making the film was quite strange because it was
different from singing, although I'm used to
performing."
She added that she was used to media attention
focusing on her, although members of her family
still got upset by coverage.
Church said: "I've learned to deal with it - I
don't read it.
"But my family still gets upset."
Crowds turned
up to see Charlotte arrive
|
The singer added she was delighted the film's
premiere was in her home town of Cardiff.
"It's really cool - lots of my friends are here,"
she said.
The film - which was written and directed by
fellow star Craig Ferguson - also features Buffy the
Vampire Slayer star Anthony Head.
Ferguson decided to write a script as a vehicle
for Church more than two years ago.
He plays her father Paul Kerr, who returns to
south Wales to discover Olivia - the result of a
fling he had with her mother, Jemma Redgrave.
Church started work on the film only weeks after
finishing her GCSEs.
Her only previous acting experience was a role in
the ITV series Heartbeat, and she had coaching in
preparation for this part.
Church, who was born in Llandaff, Cardiff, has
also fronted the current affairs quiz show Have I
Got News For You, as a guest host after the
departure of Angus Deayton.
Earlier this year, she also broke into the pop
charts with The Opera Song (Brave New World) - a
collaboration with dance music producer Jurgen Vries.
The singer has sold more than 10m albums
worldwide - her first three albums all went platinum
in the US.
