Taking on a real life character is always a challenge for an actor. It’s especially challenging when they’re from recent memory, are universally beloved for their music and had major impact on society over the course of their lives.
Kingsley Ben-Adir faced all three — plus the added bonus of learning a new language and a new skill — as he took on the role of Bob Marley in the new biopic, Bob Marley: One Love.
MORE: Bob Marley: One Love is an emotional look into the singer’s life, music and impact
“They both had their challenges, you know? The patois was probably more terrifying, because I felt like, with the guitar and stuff, there’s always a world where you can pretend and they can cheat it,” Ben-Adir told For The Win on his preparations. “The language, we were never gonna be able to do that.”
Ben-Adir was fully committed to learning as much as possible from the moment he got the role. One day after filming for Marvel’s Secret Invasion wrapped, Ben-Adir found out he landed the role of Marley. That same day, he hopped onto YouTube and found a video of a man teaching how to play “Redemption Song” on guitar.
For Marley’s mannerisms and manner of speaking, Ben-Adir relied heavily on videos and clips shared by the family. Beyond the speaking, Ben-Adir studied videos of Marley and his movements on stage, working hard to replicate the style and presence he maintained. He immersed himself into everything he could find about the singer, and it paid off on screen.
“I think electric is a great word,” director Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) told For The Win of Ben-Adir’s performance. “Dynamic, intelligent, sensitive, vulnerable… I can’t say enough great things about what he delivered to us and for Bob [Marley] fans.”
Bob Marley: One Love is in theaters now.