July 16, 2000
Sunday Mail
"Dougray is now too hot for Burns"

A tiny Scots film company's plans to cast screen heart-throb Dougray Scott as Rabbie Burns may collapse because he's now cracked Hollywood.

The 34-year-old star's role opposite Tom Cruise in blockbuster Mission:Impossible-2 has been disastrous news for Palm Tree Productions, makers of the Robert Burns flick.

Husband and wife team Robbie Moffat and Mairi Fraser Sutherland had been in talks with Scott to take the lead in their low-budget film, Red Rose, about the Bard's love for both Jean Armour and married aristocrat Maria Riddell.

But last night Mairi admitted: "He's become so huge now that it might be difficult for us even to get his agent to return our calls."

The pair met with the actor just prior to Scott's signing on for the Mission Impossible project.

Mairi said: "We ended up talking about the script and the character of Burns. He was obviously very interested in the idea at that point.

"It would have been ideal casting as he hadn't reached a high Hollywood level because he hadn't done Mission Impossible at that stage."