Kingsley Ben-Adir, Umi Myers Kiss On Set As Bob Marley, Cindy Breakspeare In Upcoming Biopic — See Photos
Bob Marley’s indomitable legacy is now closer to being immortalized on the big screen with the blessing of his son Ziggy Marley, daughter Cedella Marley, and wife Rita Marley, who are co-producing the Paramount movie on behalf of Tuff Gong International.
While the film is also expected to feature Rita (played by Lashana Lynch) extensively, photos taken on set show lead actor Kingsley Ben-Adir kissing newcomer Umi Myers, who plays the role of Bob’s girlfriend and Miss World 1976 winner, Cindy Breakspeare.
Actor James Norton, who reportedly plays the role of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, is also in the scene set in London.
In 1975, Marley — who married Rita in 1966 — began dating Breakspeare, who resided at a flat in his 56 Hope Road compound. Their relationship bore a son, Grammy-winning artist Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley in 1978, but it was considered a ‘glorified affair’ to many and taboo at the time.
In Breakespeare’s own words: “It was a bit scary because ‘uptown’ girls of light complexion didn’t have relationships with Rastas. I knew I was crossing that invisible line in the sand.”
“I don’t think I need to explain to anyone what the magnetism was all about,” she told Ron Fanfair in 2019. “Bob was a man on a mission who knew what he was about. He was very purpose-driven, inspirational and influential all rolled into one. I knew that if I became involved with Bob, it would change my life forever.”
Their relationship lasted six years until Marley died in 1981 at age 36 after a battle with cancer.
In another scene, Kingsley, 36, was seen donning Bob’s preferred rugged attire with a matching tam, while Myers wore a cream-colored coat and mesh top, with white pants.
Following a lengthy, tedious search, it was announced back in February 2022 that Kinglsey, best known for his roles in Peaky Blinders and One Night in Miami, would take on the coveted role of the late reggae icon, with Reinaldo Marcus Green directing.
Umi Myers, an upcoming British actress, previously had a small role in the UK TV series Silent Witness.
In an Instagram post today (April 4), Myers shared a series of photos and clips taken in Jamaica, which she captioned: “Feeling extremely happy and blessed to be here ✨.”
In one slide, she posed for a photo with Cindy Breakspeare, 68; in another, she’s seen dancing and enjoying the beach with Jamaican singer Sevana.
The biopic, for which the second phase of filming ended in Jamaica last month, will focus on the period in which Bob Marley survived an assassination attempt on the island and went into exile in London, where he worked on his albums Exodus and Kaya, released in 1977 and 1978 respectively.
Meanwhile, according to Deadline, actors Michael Gandolfini, Tosin Cole, Nadine Marshall, and Anthony Welsh have all been slated for roles in the Paramount biopic.
Ziggy Marley, who is co-producing the film with Rita and his sister Cedella, recently offered some details on the plot of the biopic, which is set for release on January 12, 2024.
“We just finished the movie. Not titled yet, but (is about) the life story a mi faada, mi madda too. The foundation of it is from 1976 to 1978 the assassination attempt, to the return to the one Love Concert,” Ziggy told Irie FM’s Kabu on The Running African program.
When asked how “political tribalism” was weaved into the film, Ziggy hinted that two of Jamaica’s foremost political enforcers of the 1970s era, Aston “Bucky” Marshall and Claudius Massop were also in the film, as well as the two leaders of the two major political parties at the time: the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Edward Seaga and Michael Manley of the Peoples National Party (PNP).