From Bond spy to Mrs Marley...
Londoner Lashana has one love as wife of reggae star
SHE gave James Bond a run for his money as the first female 007 in No Time To Die.
And now Lashana Lynch has gone from Bond girl to Bob’s girl in her latest role as the wife of reggae star Bob Marley.
The London- born actress, 36, plays Rita Marley opposite fellow Londoner Kingsley Ben-Adir in the film about his life, Bob Marley: One Love.
Last night, Ms Lynch dazzled in a vibrant green Maison Rabih Kayrouz gown, costing £2,560, as she was reunited with Ben-Adir, 37, at the London premiere. In a threepiece suit, the actor looked rather different from his on-screen character, famously a fan of retro sportswear and denim.
A number of Marley’s children – of which there are reported to be 11 – also attended the red carpet event, including Ziggy, 55, and Rohan, 51, and his granddaughter Zuri, 28. Ms Lynch, who is of Jamaican descent, said she spent time with Rita Marley, 77, in preparation for the role, through which she hopes to ‘make Jamaica proud’.
‘Getting to know Rita ... has been one of the biggest gifts,’ she told Elle Magazine, adding: ‘I could retire tomorrow and feel I went out with one of the best decisions for my spirit, my career and my culture. I hope Jamaica can feel proud of what we’ve created.’
Ben-Adir is no stranger to playing prominent black figures from history, having portrayed Malcolm X in One Night In Miami and Barack Obama in The Comey Rule.
But he initially turned down the role of Marley, thinking it too difficult to ‘mimic’ the musician.
He told the BBC: ‘You can’t mimic him, you can’t copy him, you can’t choreograph him. It’s just not possible. It’s too spontaneous.’
Marley was one of the most important musicians of the 20th century and is considered a pioneer of reggae music. He married Rita, a member of vocal group I Threes, in 1966, but died in 1981 aged 36.