First reviews for Back to Black are in – and they heap praise on lead star Marisa Abela.
The tragic story of the late Amy Winehouse, iconic songwriter and vocalist, is getting the biopic treatment in a new film titled Back to Black.
Helmed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the film focuses on Winehouse’s years living in London in the early noughties and her journey to stardom, and stars Marisa Abela in the lead role.
Following the film’s world premiere, critics have shared a mixed bag of reactions, but they seem to agree on one thing: Abela’s strong performance as Amy.
The actor confirmed the role back in January with an Instagram post in which she wore a gold necklace with the words “Amy Jade” – the singer’s first two names.
She captioned the image with a reference from Amy’s 2008 Grammy acceptance speech, writing: “And for London. This is for London. ‘Cause Camden Town ain’t burnin’ down.”
Wondering what else Abela has appeared in and what she’s said about her role in Back to Black? Read on for everything you need to know about the star.
Who is Marisa Abela?
Abela is an actress who is known for her work on both the big and small screen. She was born in Brighton on 7th December 1996.
She has previously opened up about how she initially wanted to head for law school, but eventually applied to RADA, securing a place when she was 19 years old.
She rose to fame playing investment banker Yasmin in BBC drama Industry.
How old is Marisa Abela?
Abela is 27 years old.
What else has Marisa Abela starred in?
Abela starred in 2020 thriller series Cobra and interactive feature film Five Dates before getting her big break in Industry.
Speaking about the role, she said back in 2021: “I was in my final year of drama school at the time when I got the script. It was maybe three episodes, and I was just overwhelmed with excitement at the idea of playing a character like this.”
She added: “Her tagline was ‘vulnerability disguised by Prada’, and I was like… ‘God, this is going to be so fun.’”
She also had a very minor role in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
Does Marisa Abela sing in Back to Black?
Yes, director Sam Taylor-Johnson recently revealed that Marisa has provided all vocals for the film.
Speaking to Empire, she said: “When we first talked about it, my first question to (Marisa) was, ‘Can you sing?’ And she said, ‘I can’’t.’”
She continued: “I was thinking, maybe we’ll use Amy’s voice throughout, and we’ll do it that way.
“She then went off after that audition – irrespective of whether she knew she’d got the part – and started training her voice.”
What has Marisa Abela said about Back to Black?
Talking about taking on the role of a lifetime, Abela told Harper’s Bazaar: “What we were interested in doing was bringing audiences back to who she was when she first captured everyone’s imaginations.”
She continued: “It was about that moment where she really set the world on fire with her album Frank. We wanted to get back to that place – who was she, at the centre of her own narrative? I wanted to capture the essence of her soul.”
She added: “When we look back on her narrative, we are somehow using other people to inform us about her story. Our film is really trying to take it back to how Amy felt, what Amy was thinking – and there is no judgement there.”
Is Marisa Abela on Instagram?
Yes, she can be found at the handle @marisaabela_.
Read more:
- Eddie Marsan: ‘I wouldn’t do Back to Black if it sanitised Mitch Winehouse’
- Dev Patel says Monkey Man is “a Trojan horse and a gateway drug”
Back to Back will land in cinemas in UK and Ireland on Friday 12th April 2024.
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