Tag: Bob Marley: One Love

How Kingsley Ben-Adir transformed into Bob Marley for One Love

The actor learned a new language, a new skill and more for his portrayal of the reggae icon.

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.

Bob Marley: One Love is an emotional look into the singer’s life, music and impact

The Kingsley Ben-Adir biopic of the reggae icon hits theaters on Valentine’s Day

The newest musician biopic hits theaters on February 14 as Bob Marley: One Love opens everywhere. It’s a movie that delves into one specific timeframe of the Reggae icon’s life, namely the events surrounding the creation of his triumphant 1977 album, Exodus.

Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Wars, Barbie) takes on the titular Marley, and the actor is fantastic in the role. He dove in head-first, learning both Jamaican Patois and how to play guitar in an attempt to more perfectly embrace Marley’s persona. It’s a difficult task to accurately emulate Marley’s persona, but Ben-Adir performs admirably.

Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel) stars across from Ben-Adir as Marley’s wife, Rita. Lynch is captivating in the role and one of the standouts from One Love.

One Love is a family affair through-and-through. Two of the Marley children — Ziggy and Cedella Marley — are producers on the project, while two of the Wailers — Junior Marvin and Family Man — are played respectively by their sons. The family involvement was not only desired, but necessary for director Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard).

“It was paramount for me to have the family’s involvement,” Green told For The Win in a recent interview. “If they weren’t involved. I couldn’t do it. Ziggy [Marley] was on the very first call as a producer hiring me to direct this movie.”

There are some moments that maybe feel a little clunky, but it’s an interesting story of Marley, his relationships, his Rastafarian beliefs, his activism and, most importantly, his music. One Love struggles at times to fully capture the Marley vibes, but it’s a reminder that, despite only living 36 years, Bob Marley managed to make such an incredible impact on the world.

Movie: Bob Marley: One Love
Release Date: February 14
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Stars: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars