Birth! star looks unrecognizable 14 years after starring in favorite Christmas movie – and says her parents ‘still make me watch it every year’
The Christmas comedy Birth! starring well-known actors such as David Tennant, Martin Freeman and Alan Carr, but can you identify this cast member from the 2009 film?
The former child star from the hit film Nativity! has revealed that she finds it ‘cringey’ 14 years later, but admits her parents still insist on watching it every year.
Becca Maguire, now 23, was cast as an apprentice named Saffron in the production in 2009 after signing up with an agency through her local drama school, which saw her share the screen with Martin Freeman and Alan Carr.
The British Christmas film was released in cinemas on November 27, 2009, followed by Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012), Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey? (2014) and Nativity Rocks! (2018).
Becca, a recent art history graduate, said most of the film was shot during the six-week summer holidays at a school in Coventry, Warwickshire.
Becca Maguire, 23, was cast as a student named Saffron in the film Festivity! in 2009 after signing up with an agency through her local drama school – but remember the sweet schoolgirl?
She was then lucky enough to fly to LA for two weeks with her castmate Michael McAuley, who played William in the film, to shoot additional footage for the production.
Becca says she was only eight when she starred in the film and it was “really fun” to be part of the musical comedy directed by Debbie Isitt.
But even though it has become a Christmas tradition to watch the film with her parents every year, she says she finds the plot “cringey” and would prefer to watch Love Actually.
Since starring in Nativity! Becca put her acting career on hold to focus on her studies and graduated from UCL in September 2022 with a Masters in Art History and is now applying for a PhD.
Becca, from Guildford, Surrey, said: ‘I saw the first and second nativity scenes! movies, but I don’t think I’ve seen the other two.
‘Nativity is not my favorite Christmas movie. I think it’s quite tight.
“I don’t know if it’s because I’m in it, but it’s not my favorite. However, my mom and dad make us watch it every year as a Christmas tradition. My favorite Christmas movie is Love Actually.
Becca pictured at age 8 performing the Sparkle And Shine song at the Nativity! movie
Becca (right) pictured with her co-stars Michael McAuley (left) and Martin Freeman (center) in 2009
Becca Maguire, 8, with Martin Freeman at the Nativity! premiered in 2009
Becca Maguire pictured in the hit 2009 (left) and 2023 (right) film
‘I was only eight when I was in the film. Many of the kids who came to the audition were well rehearsed and had dance routines planned.
“I just came along and didn’t expect it to go anywhere.
‘When I got the part, we weren’t sure if I would be an extra or a lead role.
‘We didn’t know for a while that we were going to LA to film.
“I remember feeling quite nervous when we were in LA and [we were singing to the Hollywood producers].
‘There were so many producers, directors and cameramen and it was really nerve-wracking.
‘But it was so much fun and we had a few days off where we went to theme parks and explored.
The actress is pictured impersonating her eight-year-old self in Nativity!
‘I remember making so many new friends on set and the whole experience was so much fun.
‘Filming in the cathedral for the end of the film was also great. We have to stay up really late.’
Birth! is a British film that tells the story of a heartbroken primary school teacher who tells a white lie about Hollywood coming to visit his school and looking at the child’s nativity scene.
Becca said that all the children learned the lyrics to the songs during filming, but were never given lines to learn to make their acting more “natural” on set.
She said everyone could choose their character name for the film and Becca originally chose Sapphire, but this was later changed to Saffron by producers.
Becca graduated from UCL in September 2022 with a Masters in Art History and is now applying for a PhD
Michael McAuley, who played William, and Becca, who played Saffron, pictured filming in LA in 2009
The actress is pictured imitating her character in the movie Nativity!
Becca, now 23, says she finds the film “cringey” fourteen years later
The part-time childcare worker says her favorite song in the Nativity scene! was ‘Sparkle and Shine’ for which she had a star face mask and says Mr Maddens, played by Martin Freeman, and Mr Poppy, played by Marc Wootton, had the same personalities on and off.
Becca said: “All the filming was very natural. When I played Saffron I could just be myself, which was really smart direction.
“We learned the lyrics to the songs, but we didn’t get any lines in the movie. We were only given directions during filming.
‘The only thing they changed about me in the movie was my name.
‘We could choose our own character names and I chose Sapphire, but there was already a girl called Crystal in the production and they thought it was too similar, so my name was changed to Saffron.
‘Mr Poppy was hilarious on set and both he and Mr Maddens had the same personality on and off set.’
Becca says people used to recognize her from the movie, but not anymore.
But when people find out she’s a childhood star, she says Saffron says it best when she mentions her allergies before flying to LA.
Becca said: ‘No one seems to recognize me in person, but when I was younger I would sometimes be recognized on school trips.
“Every time someone realizes it’s me [I played the character Saffron] they always say that when I say ‘ponies, horses, donkeys and cats’ it’s hilarious.
“I’m actually allergic to these things, so it’s all on me.”
This month, 14 years after the Nativity! film was released, Becca created a TikTok page dedicated to her time as Saffron’s apprentice in the film and users went crazy for it.
One person said: ‘Icon!’
Another added: “Saffron the queen.”
A third said: ‘Omg you were so cute!’