Keegan

FORMER Corrie actress Michelle Keegan is being courted for her first Hollywood film role.

US screen star Reese Witherspoon is keen for the 38-year-old to play the lead in a big-budget movie adaptation of her new novel.

Oscar-winner Reese, 49, wrote crime thriller Gone Before Goodbye with American author Harlan Coben, who was behind Michelle’s Netflix hit show Fool Me Once.

Harlan introduced the women to each other at the launch of the book at the ­London Literature Festival, held at the capital’s Festival Hall last weekend.

A source said: “Harlan has been singing Michelle’s praises to Reese and she was keen to meet her. They got on really well and it was clear Reese was really taken with Michelle.

“The plan is to turn the book into a film and Michelle is their first choice to take on the role of the lead character, Maggie McCabe.

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“She is a combat surgeon and Michelle previously played an Army medic in Our Girl on the BBC, so it’s a role they know she could take on with style.

“It’s early days but Harlan and Reese think Michelle is tailor-made for this role and would love her to come on board when the time is right.”

Ex-soap star Michelle became a global success after the mystery drama Fool Me Once was released last year.

The series became one of Netflix’s most watched TV shows of 2024 — with more than 107 million people streaming it worldwide in the first 90 days.

Best-selling author Harlan said of his leading lady: “I think what Michelle has, besides tremendous talent and all the other stuff, is a genuine authenticity.

“I think the audience, loves her, people want to follow her life, because they sense that there’s a kindness and a gentleness.

“And that’s really her, she’s truly authentic.”

Speaking last year, 63-year-old Harlan insisted he would be keen to work with her again and reckoned: “If we could get Michelle, we’d love to get Michelle.”

Fans of Michelle, from Stockport — who has a daughter with Heart FM DJ husband Mark Wright — will next see her on screen in ITV crime drama The Blame.

She plays Detective Inspector Emma Crane in the six-parter, which is an adaptation of ­Charlotte Langley’s 2023 debut novel of the same name.

Michelle is also known for her roles in the Sky One comedy drama Brassic and BBC drama Ten Pound Poms, about Brits who migrated to Australia in the 1950s.

MICHELLE Keegan gushed over Hollywood superstar, Reese Witherspoon, at a glitzy event in London.

The Brassic actress posed with the Academy Award winning star and they were seen getting on very well as they chatted excitedly.

She met Reese at an event for her new book, Gone Before Goodbye, which she co-authored with best selling crime author, Harlen Coben.

Michelle recently starred in Fool Me Once, one of Harlen’s many adapted series on Netflix.

She shared a series of photos of her posing closely with Reese and another video of her chatting with Reese as Harlen watched on happily.

“When two genuises collide.. ‘Gone Before Goodbye’ is made! 📖 (I can confirm Reese Witherspoon is everything you’d imagined her to be, what a woman),” Michelle captioned the post on Instagram.

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Reese later responded to her post writing, “So wonderful to meet you .. finally!”

Gone Before Goodbye is Reese’s debut novel and tells the story of surgeon Maggie who after a series of personal tragedies is offered an intriguing opportunity by a former colleague.

Michelle also shared a series of her posing at the Southbank Centre in London where the event was held.

Her brush with Hollywood royalty comes after The Sun was first to reveal how Michelle’s BBC series Ten Pound Poms had been scrapped after two series.

The show’s axe comes as the ex-Coronation Street star waves goodbye to hit comedy Brassic on Sky, just as she’s returning to work after becoming a first time mum, to daughter Palma Elizabeth.

Period drama Ten Pound Poms followed a group of British citizens who emigrated from post-war Britain to Australia in the 1950s, with Michelle playing nurse Kate Thorne.

A BBC spokesperson said: “It’s been a joy to bring the story of the Ten Pound Poms to life for BBC viewers and we are really grateful to Danny Brocklehurst, Eleven and all the cast and crew who have worked on the series.”

The gentle drama made a splash when it first aired in May 2023, with 6.37million viewers but that had halved to 3.15million by the end of series two in April this year.

She is busy on a new thriller called The Blame for ITV, though, after time off to have baby Palma with husband Mark Wright.

After all the talk of a Bethpage “bearpit” in the build-up to this week’s Ryder Cup, Monday’s opening exchanges between the captains in New York could not have been more cuddly.

While the home fans are expected to bring a spikiness to Bethpage, Europe skipper Luke Donald and his US counterpart Keegan Bradley will deliver the bonhomie.

They live four miles apart in Florida, are members of Jack Nicklaus’ Bear’s Club, and are founding partners in a local restaurant.

Donald talked about their “strong friendship” and a “deep, mutual respect” for each other in his opening remarks.

“Keegan is someone that I’ve rooted for,” said Donald. “If he did well in a tournament, won a tournament, I would text him. We sometimes play practice rounds together, we’ve had dinners together.”

In return, Bradley gushed: “There are not many people I like more in the golf world than Luke Donald.

“I feel lucky to have Luke on the opposite side because we send each other texts, we joke around. I love hanging out and having a drink with Luke Donald.”

Their thoughts echoed a surreal calm at Bethpage’s famed Black Course, with spectators not allowed on to the property until Tuesday.

It is then that Europe’s players will get a first taste of the New York support, with Donald’s dozen set to play all 18 holes of this hilly course on Long Island, about 40 miles east of Manhattan.

And they could be ‘welcomed’ by thousands of fans in the stand that looms over the first tee and the adjacent 18th green. But will it be as intimidating as the cauldron created by the almost 5,000-seat stand that horseshoed the first tee at Rome in 2023?

Donald is taking no chances and has given his players virtual reality headsets which Rory McIlroy explained can be programmed to replicate the “sights and sounds” the away team are expecting.

Speaking this month, he said: “You can get them to say whatever you want them to say. You can go as close to the bone as you like.”

This was probably as close as we will ever get to having another playing captain in a Ryder Cup. In truth, the PGA of America put Bradley in an invidious position by appointing him long before his days at the top of the game are done.

As a result, it could be argued, the American team have been denied one of their top dozen golfers for the 12-man team charged with trying to win back the trophy.

Bradley’s form and playing passion ticked every one of the boxes he cited for the six players he chose as wildcard picks. “They’re all incredibly gritty players, tough players, great competitors,” the skipper said.

“They’ve all proven themselves at the highest level. And again, they’ve played basically in the bubble of the Ryder Cup for the last month and a half and performed at the highest level.”

Bradley insists their current playing standards made it easy for him to leave himself out. But if someone else was captain, Bradley would have felt aggrieved to be ignored in the way that he was by Zach Johnson two years ago.

Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay were no-brainers. They bring vital experience and strong matchplay credentials – especially Cantlay, who has a 15-6-1 record in team competitions for the United States.

Cameron Young, a New Yorker who set the Bethpage Black course record as an amateur, won his first PGA Tour title only three weeks ago. His form and background made him a natural selection.

Ben Griffin’s consistency has been stellar and as someone who gave up the game to work in an office before returning to stardom, he provides a romantic perspective that could sit well in the locker room.

Sam Burns’ putting will worry Luke Donald’s European team, but Collin Morikawa’s patchy form in 2025 perhaps makes the two-time major champion the most fortunate of the picks.

World number one Scottie Scheffler won the US PGA Championship and The Open this year to qualify with ease, and also added the BMW Championship in August.

JJ Spaun won the US Open to claim his first major, after being beaten to the Players Championship title in a play-off by Rory McIlroy.

Xander Schauffele won the US PGA and Open in 2024. He has had a quieter 2025, although he extended his run of not missing a cut to 58 events – the longest since Tiger Woods set the record at 142.

Russell Henley and Harris English rubber-stamped their spots over the weekend.

LIV Golf player Bryson DeChambeau qualified thanks to six top-10 finishes in the majors during the 17-month qualification period.

Captain Bradley described two-time major winner Justin Thomas, who was his first wildcard pick and finished seventh in the Ryder Cup rankings, as “the heartbeat of our team”, adding: “This guy was born to play Ryder Cups and specifically at Bethpage Black.”

Former world number two Collin Morikawa, also a two-time major champion, was eighth in the qualifying standings. Captain Bradley said his “golf resume speaks for itself”.

Ben Griffin, 29, was the third captain’s pick and makes his Ryder Cup debut. He was ninth in the Ryder Cup rankings.

“He’s burst on to the scene this year with 10 top-10s, only second to Scottie in our team, including two wins,” said Bradley.

Bradley selected another rookie in 29-year-old New York native Cameron Young, who finished 14th in the rankings, for his fourth pick. Young said competing in his home state would be “so special”.

Fifth pick Patrick Cantlay, who ranked 15th in the race to make the team, said the “team events mean everything” to him.

Sam Burns, who was 16th in the Ryder Cup rankings, was the final pick. Burns said he felt “privileged and honoured” to be selected, with Bradley adding he has “competitive fire in his belly”.