North Ayrshire wonder girl returns to the big screen

Lilly Aspell, who attended Springside Primary School, plays young Diana in Wonder Woman 1984.

The North Ayrshire lass performed her own stunts in the movie, making the most of her horse riding skills that she first picked up while living with her grandparents in Springside.

Lilly’s mum told the Times that the 13-year-old’s showjumping and acting are benefitting each other with her getting more opportunities to ride on screen as well as travel the world to compete in competitions.

Lilly on her first day of school. Credit: Donna Caldwell.

Mum Donna Caldwell said: “Lilly’s grandad and grandma have always had horses.

“When Lilly first got cast, they didn’t know she could rise.

“In the first film there is a scene in a yellow field, she was supposed to be running, but when Patty Jenkins, the director, found out Lilly could ride she wanted her on a horse.”

Donna and Lilly were jumping with excitement when they got the call to ask he to reprise her role as Gal Gadot’s younger self and the Holywood star was full of praise for her.

In an interview, Gal told Graham Norton: “The stunt co-ordinator came to us and said, ‘she can stunt herself’. .. Anything you see, she is doing, she is amazing.”

The movie was released earlier this month, following delays due to the pandemic.

Lilly as the young Wonder Woman. Credit: Lilly Aspell.

But due to coronavirus restrictions, lots of cinemagoers have been unable to watch it on the big screen – including Lilly and her family.

Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled to be available from streaming in the UK in the new year, and Lilly and Donna are excited for the chance to see all her hard work.

Lilly has been kept busy throughout the year filming other projects, including playing the young Lily James in the BBC series, Pursuit of Love.

And she shows off her riding skills in the Nancy Mitford adaptation and is keen to take her showjumping to the next level once restrictions ease in 2021. Grandparents John and Ayley Rorison always kept ponies and horses in North Ayrshire when Donna was growing up and she left home to become a jockey herself.

Lilly has continued the family’s equestrian tradition and has already had a host of a achievements including coming second in the Olympia Horse Show last year.

Lilly previously told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘My favourite scene to shoot was riding Vendeval, the grey stallion, through the yellow field. I think it is an amazing scene and made me smile when I watched the movie.”

Donna said: “Lilly’s stepdad Craig and I are exceptionally proud of her, she’s a hurricane.”