Marisa Abela has revealed how intense gym sessions, a strict diet and regular singing training helped her transform into Amy Winehouse for the upcoming pop star biopic.
The actor will star in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s upcoming project Back to Black, which delves into the iconic singer’s life and career, starring Jack O’Connell as her former lover Blake Fielder-Civil.
Abela worked with Anne-Marie Speed and a range of other singing coaches four times a week from September 2022 to January 2023 to learn to sing from scratch.
The 27-year-old has also lost weight and learned to play the guitar, turning her body into a “real instrument” and recreating one of the most recognizable voices of modern times for the film released on April 12. .
The Brighton-born star compared her intense schedule to that of a professional athlete, tellingly the guard: ‘It’s full-time preparation, it’s like being an athlete and people really underestimate how physical voice production can be.
Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse and Eddie Marsan as her father Mitch in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s new project Back to Black, which delves into the life and career of the iconic singer
Abela worked with Anne-Marie Speed and a number of other coaches four times a week from September 2022 to January 2023 to learn to sing from scratch
Amy and Mitch in 2006 – the film follows the singer’s career from the early 2000s as a North London jazz musician and culminates in her rise as a Grammy-winning singer with hits such as Rehab and Back to Black
‘They don’t see it, but it really is. You have to get the body working in the right way to really support what’s happening and produce the voice that way.”
Anne-Marie Speed, who has trained the cast of musicals including Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and recently worked with actors on Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols TV series, added: ‘You want (the vocal performance) to be very close is, but makes no impression. Because otherwise you might as well imitate her recordings.
“I saw her (Abela) four times a week for two-hour sessions for about three months before we started shooting. So it’s a big, big commitment.”
Demand for musical biopics has increased dramatically in recent years, with some calling this the ‘golden age’ for the genre, thanks to the success of films like Rocketman (Elton John), Straight Outta Compton (NWA) and Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla (Priscilla Presley ).
This requires more actors to learn to sing, with more attention paid to their preparation for these roles, with some opting for a ‘method’ approach.
Speed believes that the ability to sing has become a crucial aspect of an actor’s resume, but emphasized how difficult it can be to master.
‘I think it’s an important skill, but not everyone necessarily wants to focus on it. You have to find someone who is willing to do the work because it is work and it takes practice.
“I think one of the misunderstandings among the public is that people are given take after take after take (to get it right). You don’t do that, because there is a very strict schedule. So when they show up on set, they have to be able to deliver.”
How Hollywood stars prepared to play these music icons
Bradley Cooper – Maestro (2023)
Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein
Cooper says he spent six years preparing for the role of conductor Leonard Bernstein.
The American also played a troubled country singer alongside Lady Gaga in the 2018 blockbuster A Star Is Born.
Chadwick Boseman – Get Started (2014)
Chadwick Boseman as James Brown
The Black Panther star portrayed James Brown and undertook five-hour sessions to master the dance moves of ‘the hardest working man in show business’.
Boseman also worked with vocal coach Ron Anderson to master the funk legend’s iconic tones.
Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon – Walk the Line (2005)
Joaquin Phoenix (right) and Reese Witherspoon (left) as Johnny Cash and June Carter in the film Walk the Line
Both stars performed every song in the film about Johnny Cash and June Carter, which tells the story of the country star’s romance and Cash’s substance abuse problems while touring as a young man.
Jamie Foxx – Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles
Foxx was already a pianist when he took on the role of rhythm and blues legend Ray Charles.
However, the actor insisted on learning to play as the blind signer, so he started practicing with his eyes closed.