Jessica Mauboy reveals surprising reason behind her return to acting

Jessica Mauboy is back on the screen in Stan's newest film Windcatcher, out on Thursday, March 28, after taking a seven-year break from acting.

The singer and actress, 34, last appeared onscreen in The Secret Daughter, which wrapped up in 2017, and is also known for her acting work in the films The Sapphires and Bran Nue Dae.

Windcatcher tells the story of Percy Boy (Lennox Monaghan), an Aboriginal boy who forms an alliance with Keithy Cobb (Max Turner) and Daisy Hawkins (Coco Greenstone) to take on the school bullies in a big race to prove he's the fastest runner.

All he needs is a new pair of shoes, with the trio doing everything they can to earn the money to buy Percy Boy's precious running shoes so he can win the race.

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Jessica stars as Aunty Cressida, Percy Boy's aunt and guardian who has been taking care of him following the death of his parents in a wildfire. She has a no-nonsense attitude and is dedicated to taking care of her family, as well as her community as a member of the State Emergency Service (SES).

Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle, Jessica said it was "incredibly exciting and nerve-wracking" to return to the screen in Windcatcher.

"My last actual film was The Sapphires and prior to that it was Bran Nue Dae, so this is my third time making a film and being in the environment of other beautiful cast members and storytellers," she tells us. "I was just excited and anxious to get in the space and perform with everyone and tell the story as close to home as I could."

Speaking about her last few years, Jess revealed just how busy she's been with her music projects and touring, telling us that when the script was sent to her, her agent could tell it was a special story.

"It kind of gave me this rush of overwhelmingness, and I was like, 'Wow, this story has actually got so much heart and it's got this beautiful warmth that I feel, and now I've got like the hairs are standing up on my arms,'" she said.

Speaking about her character, Jess shared that Aunty Cressida is very suddenly given a lot of responsibility where she is not only looking after Percy Boy, but also her father and her aunt, who has dementia.

"Instantly, I was like, 'Well, it's not a singing job!'" she joked. "But I think that's what I loved, it was a lot more about the character rather than my personal influence as a singer, songwriter, artist. It had nothing to do with that and I think that's what drew me in a lot more."

At one point in the film, Aunty Cressida gets back into her SES uniform, with Jess sharing that it was an "emotional" moment.

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"I got emotional around that scene, obviously, we all in this country have experienced a wildfire, and so that was something that really hit close, and I know that it's going to hit close to a lot of people out there," she added, saying she was "really proud" to represent any volunteer or SES worker who serves their community.

Speaking about the young cast, Jess shares that they really make the film, saying, "These young kids can act and they're so witty, and they say the darnedest things and you feel that, they literally jump out of the screen and the characters that they play just exude fun. As much as it's a gut wrenching and heartbreaking story, it's also really wholesome and funny."

"The film takes you up and down, and it's really wonderful to be a part of something that has all of that in one film."

The Stan Original Film Windcatcher premieres March 28, only on Stan.

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