Actress Jayd Johnson is used to being in the news. She starred with Gerard Butler in Dear Frankie when she was just 11 and spent six years in soap River City as Nicki Cullen.
Playing a feisty young reporter in BBC Scotland drama The Field Of Blood, however, she has written headlines of her own.
Jayd, 20, was the star of the show in the critically acclaimed adaptation of crime writer Denise Mina's book - despite a cast which included David Morrissey, Peter Capaldi, Jonas Armstrong and Ford Kiernan.
Now she is off to London to capitalise on the network screening of the critically acclaimed drama, which will be repeated in Scotland.
Jayd was studying at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA) in New York when she was hand-picked for the role.
She said: "I was into the second month of my second year in New York when I left - they said I could defer and go back any time.
"But now I want to keep working. I have made my mind up and I'm heading down to London in two weeks time.
"I have tried to coincide going down with the network screening of The Field Of Blood. I have a few meetings set up and here's hoping something happens from it."
Her role is Paddy Meehan, a copy girl who is determined to become an investigative journalist for the Glasgow Daily News despite the 1982 backdrop where smoking, drinking and casual sexism are rife.
She gets her chance to prove herself when a 10-year-old boy is accused of murder and she sets out to find the real killer.
The Field Of Blood is one of a trilogy of books featuring Paddy Meehan and Jayd is hoping she will get the chance to reprise the role.
She said: "A lot of people have been asking if they are going to make more and a lot of were disappointed it was only two parts and there wasn't more. There are more books, the storylines are out there.
"Everyone is hoping it does well and gets good ratings. That will be when a decision about others is made."
Whether she continues in the role or not, Jayd is grateful she was persuaded to take it in the first place. She was reluctant to give up her course at the AADA, whose former students include Spencer Tracy, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford and Kim Cattrall.
But writer-director David Kane, who created Sea of Souls, had seen her in River City and was convinced she was the perfect fit for Paddy.
She said: "The casting director kept in touch and asked if I would I read the scripts and consider coming back for an audition. I said no again because I wanted to graduate.
Finally Jayd was persuaded to read the script.
She said: "Then they started telling me who was going to be in it and I was sold."
Her research for the role watching a documentary about a 1980s newsroom, watching All The President's Men "about 40 times" and reading Denise Mina's book, which initially spooked her.
She counts herself lucky she could turn to her established co-stars to help draw out the performance of her life.
She said: "It was more exciting than intimidating. The first day I was on set with Peter Capaldi, who has won an Oscar, I was in total awe of him but he couldn't have done more for me.
"They were some of the easiest scenes I had to do because he was good, it all came naturally.
"Ford Kiernan also gave me a lot of advice about the other side of the industry.
"He is actually my hero. I am such a big fan of Still Game. Every time he was on set, I could hardly keep a straight face because he is so funny naturally.
"Denise Mina was so helpful to me as well and she really liked it which meant a lot to me."
Having been in New York, London feels close to home and her family, parents Connie and Johnny, sister Jordana and brother John Paul. And, having worked in the industry since she was 11, she is aware she may have to bide her time before work comes up.
She said: "After The Field of Blood I was really quiet for a few months but I realise this is the way it could be for a while so I am happy to go down and get a bar job or be a waitress and pay my dues."
The Field Of Blood: BBC1, Monday, 10.15pm
Source: Daily Record
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