Charlotte Mellington, who plays young Cathy to Margot Robbie’s adult Cathy in Wuthering Heights, has just experienced her first-ever red carpet. Luckily, a few of her best friends from school surprised her just before she walked the red carpet to ease her pre-premiere jitters.

“I was so happy to see them, especially because I think I needed a little confidence boost,” the 14-year-old admits.

The young actress had her breakout on the West End as Lavender in Matilda the Musical, but Wuthering Heights is her first on screen role. The forthcoming film stars Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the doomed central couple; as young Cathy, Charlotte plays a version of the character who is ferocious and free, running across the moors with young Heathcliff (played by Owen Cooper).

At the London premiere on Thursday, Feb. 5, Charlotte realized she had nothing to be nervous about. “Last night was a dream,” she says, recounting the experience on Friday morning, a welcome break from studying for her Drama GCSE.

For her first-ever premiere look, Charlotte wore a white off-the-shoulders dress from Shushu/Tong, with a black ribbon. Her stylist Felicity pulled it for her at her studio, and Charlotte immediately knew it was the one. She paired it with strappy white low-heeled sandals.

“I think it did tie into the amazing costumes that Cathy wore,” Charlotte says, “the off the shoulder moment, this big skirt…” She completed the look with a custom bag from Angie Power, with embroidered flowers from the bodice on her Wuthering Heights costume. “There’s a little C plus H, Cathy plus Heathcliff moment, which I think is so cute. I saw it and I was like, “Oh my God,” because I get to keep it.”