STACK #235 May 2024

FEATURE MOVIE

about trying to understand his psychology. I got to learn all of that with people who knew him, and it became joyful.” “I didn't really know much at all,” he admits when asked about his exposure to Bob Marley prior to taking on the role. “I thought I did, and I think a lot of people do. But actually, we just have an image of him and know some of his music. And a lot of

• Bob Marley: One Love is out May 29

people have ideas of who they want Bob to be - and that is the curse and the blessing of being such an influential human being,” he posits with an affectionate smile. With Marley's family on board to oversee the production and provide insight, Ben-Adir reflects on their influence on him - most notably Ziggy, who was particularly present throughout the shooting. “There's no movie without Ziggy,” he says. “There's no character without Ziggy. I needed Ziggy with me every step of the way. There wasn't an hour that would go by when I wouldn't turn and say, 'How do you do this? How do you say this? What do you think of this?’ I found Bob within that community, I really did.”

Bob Marley: One Love is his long overdue biopic, which centres around the reggae icon’s years in exile, living in London and recording the iconic album Exodus . Words Glenn Cochrane T he film is a music-infused, warts-and-all retelling of his life – with the power of unity as its primary message of virtue. STACK caught up with the film's trying to connect to Bob in this script in a way that felt truthful, and yet have his attitude still be there.” Ben-Adir's embodiment of the

iconic reggae pioneer was not without its challenges, however, and he discusses getting into the character's psychology and adopting his mannerisms. “Bob was very specific,” he reveals. “His attitude is

lead actor, Kingsley Ben-Adir, whose performance could be likened to a possession. “I could feel in it a redemption story,” he explains of his first

Kingsley Ben-Adir via Zoom

reaction to the script. “And immediately it was a case of, 'How do we find the internal journey throughout this time period?’ It was about

what people know, and it was about knowing where that comes from, and to understand where movement comes. And all of that is

Continue reading the full article online at jbhifi.com.au/stack

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