Movie heart-throb Dougray tells of secret meetings

SCREEN hunk Dougray Scott has revealed how secret meetings with a young cancer victim changed his life.

The star, in Edinburgh last weekend with co-star Kate Winslet for the premiere of their new film Enigma, met brave Johanna MacVicar, 23, as he prepared for a new role.

Scott, 35, plays a leukaemia sufferer in the film Ripley's Game, released next year.

And he has revealed how his encounters with Johanna, who urgently needs a second bone marrow transplant after a first op failed, humbled him.

The actor, who shot to fame in TV's Soldier Soldier and starred alongside Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible II, said: "She opened her heart about her illness and I really want to be positive about my portrayal of leukaemia.

"I have every confidence that she will get better. She taught me a great lesson in life... to appreciate things."

The pair met at the end of last year after the Scots star contacted the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust while researching his new role.

They got on so well that Dougray has continued to stay in touch with the MacVicar family in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, to keep tabs on Johanna's progress.

Johanna was on holiday yesterday but her mum Angela said: "He's a lovely guy, though he was really nervous when we met at first.

"His character was in the same position as Johanna; he had had a transplant that wasn't successful."

Dougray and Johanna hit it off immediately, although Angela admits they weren't even sure who he was at first.

"When Johanna asked what he had been in, he was really modest, but she suddenly realised he had been in one of her favourite films, Ever After with Drew Barrymore.

"He told us he didn't want to ask anything he thought might upset Johanna, but she was so open he said he didn't feel awkward.

"He wanted to know things like how scared Johanna was, and what she thought life held for her in the future."

The actor kept in touch during filming, and even asked Johanna's advice on the behaviour of his character.

Angela said: "Johanna told him how frustrated she got when she saw things on television about cancer patients who had treatment and two weeks later were fine.

"He was very sensitive about getting it right for her."

Johanna was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia when she was 16.

Six years ago she had a bone marrow transplant - but it failed when her body rejected the donor tissue which had not been a 100 per cent match.

Johanna's condition is kept under control by injections of the drug Interferon, but her illness could enter the acute stage at any moment.

Unless a donor can be found whose bone marrow matches her own very rare tissue, Johanna will die.

Since she was diagnosed, she has battled to boost the number of donors across Britain by raising the profile of the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust, which keeps a record of potential donors.

After meeting Robbie Williams backstage at one of his concerts last year, she convinced him to get involved.

Angela said: "We've been so lucky with the people we have met.

"Robbie Williams just phoned out of the blue recently and took us all to Paris for one of his concerts. He didn't have to do that - all we wanted was for him to help us promote the trust.

"Dougray was a sweetheart too, and we're looking forward to seeing the film.

"But Johanna's not had a good year. She's not been very well. She had pneumonia a few months ago, but she bounced back. She always bounces back."

The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust operates the largest bone marrow register in Britain. Contact them on 0901 88 22 234.

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