Kingsley Ben-Adir to Play Reggae Icon and Legend Bob Marley in Biopic
Bob Marley is getting a biopic from Paramount Pictures and an extensive year-long search has found Kingsley Ben-Adir perfect for the role of Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley, sources told Deadline.
At just the age of 36, Marley passed away from cancer but in his short lifetime, he had managed to cement himself as one of the most celebrated reggae musicians ever. He spawned reggae hits such as “Get Up, Stand Up”, “One Love”, “No Woman, No Cry”, “Could You Be Loved”, “Buffalo Soldier” among others.
A whole lot of musical legends have been portrayed on screen and the Bob Marley role was one of the remaining and highly coveted roles in the past year. Dozens of actors vied for the role which saw endless auditions and tests but recently Ben-Adir stood out from the bunch before finally winning the role.
Ben-Adir’s breakout role was in The OA created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. However recent portrayals of iconic figures have brought him more acclaim. His brief portrayal of US President Barack Obama in The Comey Rule brought instant praise. His portrayal of Malcolm X in Regina King’s One Night in Miami gave him some buzz in the 2021 award season.
Recently, he has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is set to play the villain in Marvel’s Secret Invasion.
Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, and Cedella Marley will produce on behalf of Tuff Gong. Robert Teitel will also produce. Reinaldo Marcus Green will be directing.
