Actress Rachael Taylor admits she almost gave up her part in the upcoming Aussie film Summer Coda because of the “terrifying” task of having to learn the violin.

The Transformers star now says she’s glad she stuck with it, describing the experience of making the romantic drama as “amazing”.

Set against the backdrop of the orange groves of Mildura, along the Murray River, Summer Coda has been six years in the making for young, first-time Melbourne director Richard Gray.

It stars Taylor as Heidi, an American violin player who travels to rural Victoria for her estranged father’s funeral and forms an initially guarded connection with orange grove owner Michael, played by Alex Dimitriades.

The film [...] is set for release in Australia on October 21.

“I told him I felt like I couldn’t do the part, I said ‘mate I have to be honest with you I feel like I’m unable to do it’,” says Taylor, who’s dating fellow actor Matthew Newton.

“The violin is terrifying, it’s a confronting part, and I wasn’t sure I was properly prepared for it.

“You don’t want to embarrass yourself, Richard’s been developing this project for six years, I told him he deserved somebody who felt capable,” she adds.

But Gray wouldn’t have it, telling Taylor she was perfect for the part.

Taylor describes Summer Coda, which was filmed in Mildura and the US, as a gentle journey about complex relationships.

“What do you do when you go to your father’s funeral, who you haven’t spoken to since you were eight and you meet his new wife and his new son, there’s no handbook on how to handle those moments in life, and that’s what the film’s about.”

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