Liverpool Chicken Run actress joins charity dog walk for greyhound rescue

Liverpool actress Josie Sedgwick-Davies, who’s one of the stars of the hit film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, is joining a dog walk in the city this weekend to help a greyhound rescue.

The Chicken Run actress is a keen patron of Hector’s charity which helps to save the lives of former racing greyhounds who are often abandoned after their racing careers are over.

The volunteer-led rescue rehomes many of the dogs in Liverpool, so they’ve chosen Sefton Park as the venue for their latest fundraiser.

And Josie, who lives in Toxteth, will be one of the supporters turning out to take part.

She chose the charity after rescuing several Romanian street dogs herself and helping them to find new homes in the UK.

“My dog that I’d kept from Romania was part-greyhound, he was about 12 and had been on the streets when I got him, and a friend in Liverpool got a dog from Hector’s so I just loved the connection,” she says.

“I went to one of their events and met all the greyhounds and just fell in love with them. 

“Once I found out I was doing Chicken Run I knew I’d get a bit of publicity from it so I wanted to use that to do something positive. I thought what Hector’s do is so brilliant so I really wanted to help these dogs however I could.”

It’s actually four years since Josie first landed the role as Frizzle in the Chicken Run movie that’s gone on to be number one on Netflix and has just earned a BAFTA nomination.

Although she had to keep her casting a secret, even from family and friends, for the first two.

She explains: “Just before the pandemic I got an audition through and I thought nothing of it at first. I sent it off without having the full details but I just kept getting recalled.

“I’m dyslexic so I thought there was no way I was going to get it because you had to have a script in front of you and be able to read really well and I never thought I’d be able to do it. 

“When I got the part I rang my mum straight away and I’d interviewed for Home Bargains the week before so when I phoned her and told her I’d got the job she thought it was the Home Bargains one. She went running off to tell my dad and I was shouting, no, mother, come back it’s not that job!

“I was told when I got Frizzle that I couldn’t tell anyone for two years so people kept asking me how my career was going and I’d say, it’s bad, nothing’s come up. Now everyone knows, it’s been unbelievable.”

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget has got a super-starry cast including Jane Horrocks, Bella Ramsey, Thandie Newton and Imelda Staunton.

But Josie, who first trained at Young Everyman and Playhouse, says she never actually got to meet her voice co-stars until the film came out.

“It was a really long process, I started working in the middle of the pandemic – every few months I’d go down and record my lines in the booth – and the last few tiny edits I did were last year.

“But we didn’t meet as a cast until we were doing the press, so for me that was mad because I was looking at all these names and just to be on the same credit list as them is incredible.”

With awards season coming up, Josie has been busy working on her next project, playing a Scouser in a show for BBC and Disney+ that’s due out in spring.

And she’s looking forward to continuing to support Hector’s and joining the dog walk on Saturday.

“This is the biggest role I’ve ever had, probably the biggest I ever will,” she laughs. “I never thought I’d be in this position, and it wasn’t really the aim, I’ve always loved acting and performing in Liverpool so I’d happily do it forever here. 

“Getting this is a massive bonus so I’m just enjoying every second of it because not many people get this opportunity.”

Support Hector’s by having a walk around Sefton Park on Saturday, meeting at the Lark Lane entrance from 11am, and making a much-needed donation.

All dogs are welcome and little Chicken Run fans can come along and get a selfie with Josie – More info HERE.