Ride Like A Girl star moved to tears after Stevie Payne’s last day on set

TERESA Palmer, seen in an exclusive picture recreating an iconic moment as history-making Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne with her brother Stevie, admits she shed a tear when he filmed his last scene on movie Ride Like A Girl.

TERESA Palmer admits she shed a tear when Stevie Payne filmed his last scene on the set of movie Ride Like A Girl.

Palmer, playing history-making Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne, is seen in an exclusive picture below recreating an iconic moment with Payne’s brother, Stevie, after triumphing on Prince of Penzance.

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Teresa Palmer and Stevie Payne in a scene from Ride Like A Girl.

She said she had gained a second family through the special bond they developed.

“He’s a scene stealer that Stevie Payne,’’ Palmer said on set at Caulfield racecourse on Wednesday.

“He’s wonderful. He’s just joyful and very present and incredibly in the moment. He would throw in things that were unscripted and I just loved watching him soar.

“His way and his manner of being with people, it’s so refreshing and I think it’s one of the reasons he’s known as Australia’s best strapper because the horses are so sensitive to energy, too, and they pick up on that and they trust Stevie.

“I cried the day he wrapped. It was really sad. My kids really bonded with him, too.

“This one is a film that just speaks to my heart. I feel more connected to this one than I have anything I’ve done in the past. I’ve got to interact with Michelle and Stevie has become part of my family. Not only have I gained this incredible experience, I’ve gained a family from it, as well.”

The real deal: Michelle Payne on Pride of Penzance with Stevie Payne after winning the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

Filming on the movie will wrap next week with producer Richard Keddie saying it was on par with an $80 million Hollywood blockbuster.

First-time director Rachel Griffiths said it would pull at the heartstrings.

“There’s some really, gorgeous, funny moments,’’ she said. “It ends up being a complete male tear-jerker. It’s the men that get this.

“It’s got this lovely old-fashioned, matinee movie feel about it.”