Sam Taylor-Johnson has revealed that Marisa Abela's refusal to mimic Amy Winehouse in the audition process for 'Back to Black' helped her secure the lead role in the biopic.
Sam Taylor-Johnson didn't want to cast an "impersonator" as Amy Winehouse in 'Back to Black'.
The 57-year-old filmmaker has helmed the new biopic about the late singer and opted to cast Marisa Abela in the lead role as she didn't try to imitate Amy's appearance in her audition.
Sam told the BBC: "There were many brilliant impersonators and people that looked like her or sounded like her. But Marisa came in as herself, she was the only one in the audition process who didn't try to look like her in any way, earrings, eyeliner or anything."
The 'Nowhere Boy' director revealed that she wanted to meet with Amy's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil (portrayed by Jack O'Connell in the flick) before shooting to shed some light on the pair's turbulent and drug-fuelled relationship but was unable to do so.
Taylor-Johnson explained: "We had to understand why Amy fell in love with him, so it wasn't about making a one-dimensional villain. We had to fall in love with him to understand why she wrote one of the greatest albums about their love.
"In terms of Blake, it wasn't my place to cast judgement on somebody who was obviously an addict, and (on) the two of them having this intense, albeit toxic, love affair."
Sam and Marisa hope that the movie shows what a talented artist the 'Rehab' hitmaker was and are keen for audiences to carry on listening to her music once they have seen the film.
The filmmaker said: "I think she would feel we have sort of gifted her her music back again in a different light. Hopefully she would feel proud of it and us."
Abela added: "And of herself too, as a catalogue of her achievements and what it was she was able to create as a very young woman.
"I hope she would watch it and feel proud of everything she created."
On the same day that Glastonbury welcomed back Margate's adopted sons, The Libertines, Margate itself put on it's very own Leisure Festival as it...
Oasis fans hoping to get tickets for the band's reunion shows are being asked a trivia question to secure access to a pre-sale ballot.
Sheffield's very own all girl group Pretty Fierce are still on a high after the recent release of their debut single - 'Ready For Me'.
Three nights before the end of his current tour Will Varley returned to his home town of Deal to delight a sold out crowd in The Astor Theatre.
With only a few days to go before Portsmouth based songstress and producer WYSE releases her new single, 'Belladonna', we caught up with her to find...
Colorado raised, Glasgow educated and Manchester based Bay Bryan is nothing if not a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist performing as both...
Former Marigolds band member Keelan Cunningham has rediscovered his love of music with his new solo project Keelan X.
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Luke De Sciscio, formally known as Folk Boy, is set to release is latest album - 'The Banquet' via AntiFragile Music on...
Watch the trailer for Nowhere BoyNowhere Boy is a biopic based on the teenage years...