British actress Lashana Lynch said it was “one of the greatest gifts” to spend time with the widow of Bob Marley, whom she plays in an upcoming biopic.
The 36-year-old, known for her leading role in the television series “Still Star-Crossed,” spoke of the “feminine power” embodied by Rita Marley, a member of the Jamaican reggae singing group I-Threes.
Speaking to Elle UK for the magazine’s February issue, she said: “Getting to know Rita, spending time with her in person and on paper, has been one of the greatest gifts.
“Her feminine power is so obvious and powerful that playing her almost resurrected my inner being.
“I could retire tomorrow and feel like I made one of the best decisions for my mind, my career and my culture.
“Through my work I always get the chance to uncover the layers of my culture.
“Doing this through the story of Bob and Rita is almost a personal love letter to women like them. I hope Jamaica can be proud of what we have created.”
Rita became a widow when Bob died in 1981 at the age of 36.
His band Bob Marley And The Wailers had hits with titles such as I Shot The Sheriff, Buffalo Soldier, Exodus and No Woman, No Cry.
His posthumously released 1984 album “Legend” became one of the best-selling albums of all time and topped the UK charts for 12 weeks.
The new biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” will be released in February and British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Bob.
Actress Lynch is also part of the Marvel universe and played Maria Rambeau in the 2019 film “Captain Marvel”.
She said of her work: “I really wanted to be part of franchises (like Marvel) because I really wanted to make a difference.
“It was an incredible experience. I learned a lot and was able to gain more agency and voice. It also really gave me the skills I needed to go into production myself.
“I also wanted to show the industry how versatile black women can be.
“I know this will not only make things easier for me, but also for the black women I hope to work with more in the future.”
Lynch has appeared in films such as Brotherhood (2016), No Time To Die (2021), and The Woman King (2022).
She also stars in and is co-executive producer of the upcoming television series “The Jackal” starring Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne.
The February issue of Elle UK will be on sale from January 3rd.
