Behind the Wind of Wuthering Heights 2026
At the start of 2025, I was blessed with the opportunity to experience life on the big-screen, as one of the cast members (Young Nelly Dean) in Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation of Emily Brontë’s renowned Wuthering Heights.
Though I did sometimes indulge in the fantasy of acting and the fun perks that came with it, I’d never seriously considered acting in an actual project. It was my brother (now a drama school student) who was aiming for Hollywood, so I would sometimes help him tape his auditions and read lines for him. Consequently, my mum was part of many audition forums online where they’d send out open casting calls. It was on a whim and “just for fun” that I decided to sign up for an audition that fitted my description and, by a stroke of luck, I managed to land the role.
As someone who’d barely thought to look deeper into the drama scene, being suddenly thrown into the world of movies and seeing the cogs and inner-workings behind the films we watch in our cinemas was truly a precious experience.
It’s incredible knowing just how many people are involved in one project, from the actors and directors on stage to the chefs and the hair and makeup crew and floor assistants and the movement coaches. I thought that I was impressed seeing just how many people were working around me during the filming process, but then seeing hundreds of people whom I’d never met at the Cast and Crew screening really put into perspective just how much effort and how many unsung heroes there were involved in a single movie.
The filming lasted for around six weeks for us three child actors and the memories I made are something I will forever treasure.
I remember being led onto the set of the Earnshaw’s estate for the first time and the absolute awe of seeing a solid house, with beautiful rooms, a rainy yard and farm animals all constructed within a studio room specifically for the month. I remember travelling to Kent for a scene and the joy of being surrounded by hundreds of supporting actors for the first time, after spending January acting solely with three or four other actors. I remember the beauty of the Yorkshire moors and the wind strong enough to lean back on.
It’s undeniable that being in front of the camera, immersed in this artificial world, and getting to breathe life into a script is exciting. In fact, despite my prior nerves due to my lack of experience, being on set was something I looked forward to greatly, and it felt lovely being pampered. In spite of this, what I believe was the true magic behind filming a movie was the time spent, and the connections formed with all the other people who brought a script to life.
It is the hours of laughter, shouting, and intense Uno spent with the two other child actors (Charlotte and Owen) that I remember most vividly, as well as the (slightly less) exciting time spent cooped up in the tutoring van. It’s the nights at the hotels where we'd debate irrelevant topics that make me smile. It’s the kindness of the crew members that I spoke to daily and the hugs and gifts we all shared on the last day that left the greatest impression on me.
At the beginning of the journey, I found myself with quite 
a heavy case of impostor syndrome, being suddenly surrounded by a cast of people brimming with talent as someone who’d never done something like this before. Of course, the syndrome did resurface now and again, but being in the company of such great support made it hard to spend too much time worrying about how I looked on screen.
Though the glitz and glam and the red carpet cameras were exciting during the moment, it was the patience of the people that really made the experience.
In the end, filming Wuthering Heights alongside such amazing people was a great privilege that I won’t take for granted and, disregarding any plans for what’s next after the dreaded GCSEs, I will reminisce on these memories fondly far into the future.
By Vy - Year 11