Ruth Negga cast as Shirley Bassey
Written by admin on August 4, 2011 – 6:02 pm - |
Irish actress, Ruth Negga, has been cast in the lead role of the BBC Two drama “Shirley Bassey: A Very British Diva,” which will chart the Cardiff-born singer’s rise from poverty to international stardom.
Born to a British mother and Nigerian father, Bassey left school at 15 to work in a factory and was discovered singing in working men’s clubs. At 17 she became an unmarried mother, but survived what was then a potentially career-ending scandal to become one of Britain’s best loved stars. |
Negga has welcomed the role:
| “I’m thrilled to be cast in the role of Shirley Bassey and it’s an absolute honour to be playing her in such an intimate story of her life.” |
“Shirley Bassey: A Very British Diva” will also feature Lesley Sharp as Bassey’s mother Eliza, Charlie Creed-Miles as her manager Mike Sullivan, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes as her future husband Kenneth Hume.
Executive producer of the film, Maxine Watson, said:
| “Dame Shirley Bassey is iconic. She transcends age, race and class. The big voice and vocal style are unmistakable, but it took so much more than that to take her from Tiger Bay to world class headliner. Hers is a classic story of overcoming poverty through personal sacrifice and I’m thrilled that we have such a fantastic cast to bring this story to life.” |
Negga’s previous television credits “Misfits” and “Criminal Justice.” She has also appeared in Irish films such as “Breakfast On Pluto” and “Isolation.”
“Shirley Bassey: A Very British Diva” will air as part of BBC Two’s Mixed Race Season.
Tags: Ruth Negga, Shirley Bassey, Shirley Bassey: A Very British Diva
Posted in Films, General |
