Disney's Out of My Mind actress Phoebe-Rae Taylor 'in awe' of acting role

Phoebe-Rae Taylor attended the Out of My Mind world premiere in the United States last month

An Essex schoolgirl has spoken of her joy at landing her first ever acting role in a new Disney film.

Phoebe-Rae Taylor, a Year 10 student at Mayflower High School in Billericay, plays Melody Brooks in Out of My Mind.

The role sees her navigate school as a non-verbal wheelchair user with cerebral palsy - a condition Phoebe-Rae has.

The film was her first acting gig, having auditioned aged 10, but it was delayed by the Covid pandemic.

Phoebe-Rae attended the film's world premiere in Utah after it was released on 19 January.

Phoebe-Rae, who attends Mayflower High School in Billericay, says the role was her first in acting

She spent five months filming it in Canada two years ago, but only missed two weeks of schooling during the process, as her teachers provided her with work throughout the trip.

Speaking about the filming experience, she said: "I was in awe of it all because I've not had that many people pay me attention before, so I was like: 'Oh my God, everyone likes me and is interested in me.'

"Everybody was so nice. I think they were the nicest people I've ever met in my life."

The film, being shown on Disney+, sees Melody use assistive technology, voiced by Jennifer Aniston, and friends to help her navigate her school experience.

It was Phoebe-Rae's first ever acting role, having auditioned aged 10 and being spotted through a modelling firm.

Phoebe-Rae says her friends have been hugely supportive of her throughout school

Mayflower High School is now set to host its own premiere of the coming-of-age movie - and then it is back to revising GCSEs for the young actress and her peers.

Phoebe-Rae said she hoped important messages from the film would come across.

"I think people forget how people with disabilities get treated. Even if they look or sound a bit different - they're not," she added.

"I hate looking at myself on anything. I'm not confident at all, so it was so weird, but I felt like the storyline is so important and so powerful - it's amazing to watch."