‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Exclusive Interview: Ziggy Marley

Available on digital, Blu-ray and 4K starting March 28 is the musical biopic ‘Bob Marley: One Love’, which was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (‘King Richard’) and chronicles the life and career of the legendary singer deceased. Kingsley Ben-Adir (‘Barbie’) plays Bob Marley and Lashana Lynch (‘Captain Marvel’) plays his wife, Rita.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Bob’s son, producer Ziggy Marley, about his work on ‘Bob Marley: One Love’. Marley talked about her father’s legacy, how the film was made, the performances of Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch, being on set, the music and working with director Reinaldo Marcus Green, as well as the voice work of Ziggy in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-. Verse’.

Moviefone: To start, can you tell us about the long road to making this film? Was there a moment where you thought maybe it wouldn’t happen and how do you feel about the final film?

Ziggy Marley: It was okay if it happened and okay if it didn’t happen. So it’s like I’m going to leave it in the hands of the universe. If it’s supposed to happen, it will happen. So, I don’t think we ever knew. We talk within ourselves, the creative team, and Kingsley and Lashana, that if at any point we feel like we’re not doing this right, we need to stop it. We cannot publish anything that we do not believe is the correct representation of Bob. So that was the only thing that was always there. But otherwise we’re positive people, you know?

MF: Can you tell us about finding Kingsley Ben-Adir to play your father and what you thought of his performance?

ZM: We search everywhere. We look everywhere. We wanted someone from Jamaica, obviously that would have been the best choice, who knows the culture and can speak the dialect correctly. So, we’re also looking at Jamaica. But we also needed someone who could act at an acting level. The art of acting is an art. It’s not something you can’t do right the first time. I must practice my art to be good at it. So, I think Kingsley’s acting ability is what propelled him past the others. In his acting capacity, what he was able to do is bring an emotional connection with the character of how he was representing it to us. That emotional connection. Another guy might have looked more like Bob and talked more like Bob. Who knows? But the emotional part of connecting with people, connecting with me, connecting with you, that’s art. Bob had that art as a human being. So, whoever played him had to also have that art as an actor. I think that’s what we’re going for, you know?

MF: What did you think of Lashana Lynch’s performance as your mother, Rita?

ZM: Lashana is good. He has Jamaican heritage. Her mother is Jamaican. She has that connection and reminds me of my mother in the sense that she is a queen woman and an African queen. She is not your average everyday girl. This is a different character of person. So that’s powerful. Even before they begin to act, who you are as a human being is already a force that we can feel and love. When we talked to her, we were on the same page. Because she knows the culture, she knows it. She met with my mother and advocated for a stronger Rita. It was funny, I’ll tell you a secret, right? So the script was written by guys. I put a word here or there, but basically it’s men who write the script. Now there is a female character that men write about. Then Lashana and my sister Cedella said, “Come on. She needs more fire.” I was like, “You’re right.” Because they are a group of men who wrote it. This woman needs the perspective of a woman, a strong woman. We don’t know anything about that. So that was a beautiful moment. The good thing about the process was that we were all able to contribute. Nobody said, “It’s my way.” Everyone can put something into it, you know?

MF: What was it like for you to be on set and then see your childhood recreated on screen?

ZM: Listen, for me I have all this in perspective. I stay in perspective. But for me it was entertainment. I’m watching a movie that I find entertaining. I’m seeing how this works. So for me, I’m a fan of movies and I’m a fan of making movies. So, I had so many different perspectives on it, and I never get too emotional during the process or get too excited or anything like that. It was nice though. I also like the children who played with us. The children did very well.

MF: Can you talk about the choice of music for the film? Were there any songs of your father’s that you wish you had included but just didn’t have time for?

ZM: I mean there’s some sound that we included in the credits at the end. Like “Song of the Rasta Man.” Yes, there are many things we wish we had, but during the process, again, we must follow the truth. If something doesn’t fit, what I learned from it, and this is the first time I’ve done it, or what I learned even while editing is that after a while the film or the artwork will tell you. what you want to be. You can try to fight it all you want. You’re going to lose that fight if you don’t follow what the art tells you. If your intention is to appease something other than art, then you are doing something else. There were so many things we loved and we tried a million times, but at the end of the day, the artwork said, “No. Sorry.” So we should be humble, you know?

MF: What was it like working with director Reinaldo Marcus Green to tell your family’s story?

ZM: He made it easy for me because he was open and still wants to learn too, like we all should. I’m still learning things. Nobody is perfect. We are still learning. So Reinaldo is also in the process of growing and that energy is great energy to create. It is not a process where something is already locked into a certain set of what it is or who you are, but rather someone who is still searching and evolving. That’s how good art is made, really. With that creative energy that has not yet tired. That’s the beautiful thing about Reinaldo. I saw some of his things. I never saw ‘King Richard’, but I saw some of the stuff he did before, some of the short films of him. I just liked it and I liked the energy. As a human being, we have a good connection with everyone. The entire cast, the entire crew, with Reinaldo, was like a family. But yes, friend, Reinaldo is a great man and a great director. I can’t wait to see something else he does. I look forward to it.

MF: Finally, you had a voice cameo in ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’ How did that happen?

ZM: I love Spider-Man, I’m a Spider-Man fan. So when they ask me, I’ll say, “Yes.” But I’ve been doing voiceover stuff for a while. I did ‘Shark Tale’ and I also did some TV stuff. But when Spider-Man calls, I have to go.

What is the plot of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’?

Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.

Who is part of the cast of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’?

(Left to right) Producer Ziggy Marley and Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Bob Marley: One Love.’

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