WHEN KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR was first approached to play Bob Marley by the late music icon’s son Ziggy, no less, the daunting prospect of immortalising the eternal reggae icon meant that he almost turned down the role completely. “It initially felt like a no from me,” he recalls. “I really felt like I wasn’t right for it. I don’t sing, I don’t dance, and there was nothing physically similar that meant I could really convince people I was him.”
After spending a weekend delving into the singer’s life, a “transcendental” experience occurred when the British actor found himself watching Marley’s legendary 1977 live shows at London’s Rainbow Theatre. This allowed him to forge a greater connection with the man who brought reggae to the world and, ultimately, to deliver an audition that won over Marley’s family. “When Bob Marley’s family are looking at you and saying they want you to play him, as an artist it feels dangerous to say no,” says the 37-year-old.
Ben-Adir is speaking to Rolling Stone UK in a London hotel in December 2023, two months before the film is about to hit cinemas. He’s calm and friendly, but the occasional grin that flashes across his face while talking about playing Marley suggests he’s only too aware that this is his biggest role to date, a chance to play a musical great and have that portrayal watched by Marley’s legions of fans across the globe.
この記事は RollingStone India の February 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は RollingStone India の February 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Diljit Dosanjh on 'Amar Singh Chamkila' and International Collabs
All eyes are on Netflix’s latest biopic on the life of a legendary Punjabi voice, which is essayed by the singer-actor
FAISAL KAPADIA ON TURNING TO SYNTH-POP AND HIS FAVORITE INDIAN INDIE ACTS
ONE HALF OF LEGENDARY PAKISTANI POP-ROCK DUO STRINGS, KAPADIA TALKS ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM ‘COKE STUDIO’ TO HIS SOLO ALBUM ‘ZINDAGI JAHAAN LE JAAYE’ AND A POTENTIAL COLLABORATION WITH ANKUR TEWARI, KARSH KALE AND ARNOB
The Amy Winehouse Business Is Booming
Thirteen years after the retro-soul singer’s death, tribute bands, album reissues, and a new biopic are keeping her rebel spirit alive
'No Filter Neha': B-Town Celebs at Their Unfiltered Best
No Filter Neha' is spilling the beans while also providing insightful analyses of celebrity narratives that are worth learning about, capturing the essence of human experiences and emotions
Tiger Baby Records Unveils 'Dance With Me,' a Funky Collaboration with SoBo House of Music
The EP includes vocals by students from SoBo House of Music
Kathleen Hanna
The punk icon on her memoir, Lyme disease, and Kurt Cobain
BECOMING A.C.E
TAKING IT FROM BUSKING TO COVERING POPULAR DANCE CHOREOGRAPHIES TO THEIR BEGINNINGS TO BECOMING K-POP ARTISTS, AND THEN COMING BACK AFTER A HIATUS, A.C.E’S STORY IS AN INUNDATION OF FOND MEMORIES
Omar Apollo
The Mexican American star on befriending SZA, jamming out to Beyoncé, and making music for arenas
'Khosla Ka Ghosla' Composer Dhruv Dhalla Has New Music and a New Perspective
The keyboardist and composer’s next song will appear in Bollywood film ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi,’ with singer Kavita Seth and lyricist Devendra Kafir
The Highs and Lows of Girl in Red
The super-relatable pop singer from Norway is ready for her close-up after touring with Taylor