In the summer of 1977, a National Theatre actor, Ian Charleson (best known for his later role in Chariots of Fire), thought that Willcox was someone that his friend, film Director Derek Jarman, should meet and took her to tea on Tregunter Road in Fulham at Derek's flat. The Director picked the script of what later proved to be a seminal punk epic Jubilee (called Down with the Queen at the time), said: "it's a punk movie and I don't know what we're going to call it. But it's fun, it's anarchic", and threw it on Willcox's lap, saying: "Pick any part you want". "So I picked Mad because she had the most lines in the film. And Derek then said: 'Of all the characters, if any have to be cut because of lack of money, it's going to be Mad. Because she is superficial, she doesn't serve a purpose', and I said: 'How wonderfully anarchic, I still want it'", Willcox remembered. In a month's time he did have to cut Mad from the film, but, seeing Willcox greatly upset, gave up his fee on the film so that she could play the role she was craving for. "After that Derek became like a surrogate father because he knew what it was like to go hungry and so did I", Willcox recalled. Later she cited Jarman as one of her greatest inspirations: "Derek Jarman I just love to death because he had no compromise. We went hungry when we made Jubilee. Derek literally had nothing to eat halfway through the film, he completely ran out of money. There was nothing in the coffers and he just refused to sell out and have any form of advertising or any form of sponsorship. Everything offered to him might have diluted the message of the film he turned down. So his spirit I feel very fond of. He was a great man."