bob marley
Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch walked the red carpet on a cold night in London Tuesday along with Ziggy and Rohan Marley for the premiere of their new biopic "Bob Marley: One Love."
The film, which is produced by Brad Pitt's company Plan B Entertainment, stars Ben-Adir as the reggae icon and Lynch as his wife Rita. It charts the journey behind his music and its message of love and unity.
Despite more than 500 books being written about Marley, who died in 1981 at age 36, there was still a lot to learn about the music superstar for the cast and crew.
"Everything I learned about Bob I learned for the first time when I was with the family learning about him," said Ben-Adir, who plays Marley after recently starring in "Barbie" and "Secret Invasion." "I auditioned and then I was with them straight away, and understanding who he is as a human, who he was on a more personal level outside of the public persona - that was all new; everything I learned was new."
The biographical musical drama was produced in partnership with the Marley family, and his sons Ziggy and Rohan Marley were there to represent their late father.]
"There's so much to discover about his life and what a rich man, what a rich history, what a rich music - yeah, a lot of discoveries still left," said director Reinaldo Marcus Green, whose 2021 movie "King Richard" was nominated for a best picture Oscar.
Stepping into Marley's shoes was a challenge for Ben-Adir, but he got the family's seal of approval, who called his performance "amazing."
"Kingsley did a great job. I mean, it surprised everybody!" said Ziggy Marley, adding, "When we premiered it in Jamaica last week and Jamaican people loved him so I think that says it all."
"Jamaicans are the biggest critics of anything, you know. They always have something to say, so when they say something is good, it's really good," laughed Rohan.
"Bob Marley: One Love" is hitting theatres worldwide beginning 14 February.
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