Sam Taylor-Johnson didn't want to cast an "impersonator" as Amy Winehouse in 'Back to Black'.
Sam Taylor-Johnson didn't consider 'impersonators' when casting Amy Winehouse in Back to Black
The 57-year-old filmmaker has helmed the new biopic about the late singer and opted to cast Marisa Abela in the lead role as she didn't try to imitate Amy's appearance in her audition.
Sam told the BBC: "There were many brilliant impersonators and people that looked like her or sounded like her. But Marisa came in as herself, she was the only one in the audition process who didn't try to look like her in any way, earrings, eyeliner or anything."
The 'Nowhere Boy' director revealed that she wanted to meet with Amy's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil (portrayed by Jack O'Connell in the flick) before shooting to shed some light on the pair's turbulent and drug-fuelled relationship but was unable to do so.
Taylor-Johnson explained: "We had to understand why Amy fell in love with him, so it wasn't about making a one-dimensional villain. We had to fall in love with him to understand why she wrote one of the greatest albums about their love.
"In terms of Blake, it wasn't my place to cast judgement on somebody who was obviously an addict, and (on) the two of them having this intense, albeit toxic, love affair."
Sam and Marisa hope that the movie shows what a talented artist the 'Rehab' hitmaker was and are keen for audiences to carry on listening to her music once they have seen the film.
The filmmaker said: "I think she would feel we have sort of gifted her her music back again in a different light. Hopefully she would feel proud of it and us."
Abela added: "And of herself too, as a catalogue of her achievements and what it was she was able to create as a very young woman.
"I hope she would watch it and feel proud of everything she created."