Music biopics have been great business in Hollywood, but sometimes the genre gets ridiculed for not always getting things right about iconic artists.
We have seen BET break records for its portrayal of Bobby Brown and New Edition. The actor who was picked for the New Edition Story was also used for The Bobby Brown Story biopic because of his spot on acting. Of course, Woody McClain is a beloved actor who also showed his skills on the series Power as “Cain.”
It was recently announced that the legendary reggae figure, Bob Marley, would be receiving a long overdue biopic. It was reported that British actor, Kingsley Ben-Adir, who also played Malcolm X in One Night In Miami was awarded the role of Marley.
The film is scripted by Zach Baylin, Frank E Flowers and Terence Winter, while the director is confirmed as Reinaldo Marcus Green. Although members of the Marley family have co-signed the actor to play the part such as Bob’s wife Rita and two of his children, Ziggy and Cedella, there is one outspoken against the move.
“Nuhbody cyaan play my father better than me; unless ah one ah mi bredda dem, yuh know wha’ ah mean?” KY-Mani Marley, 45, told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday. “But Bob Marley being from Jamaica, why any of di children or grandchildren were never given di opportunity to even audition?”
The issue he has comes from the problematic accent that is not easy to mimic without sometimes not coming off very poorly at best and just corny at worse. KY-Mani says, “When you are doing a movie about a man weh di world know, di world know how him talk, di world know him take interview, di world know him persona. You cyaan go round dat. You cyaan put a man wid a different accent an’ expect di world fi sey yuh do a great job. No!”
KY-Mani Marley has acted before in cult classics such as Shottas that also starred Louie Rankin. In an interview with WorldWide Entertainment TV, Rankin declared Bob Marley as the greatest artist to come out of Jamaica.
