Georgina Cates had unsuccessfully auditioned for the part of Stella under her real name of Clare Woodgate. Frustrated, she dyed her hair, reinvented herself as a 16-year-old Liverpool girl called "Georgina Cates", and landed the role.
Alan Rickman was reportedly upset to find out that Georgina Cates had lied about her age (she was in her early 20's but stated she was only, indeed, 16) in order to land the role of Stella. He had gone out of his way to be extremely gentle around her during their intimate scenes because of her perceived age.