Back to Black
2024
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Abela’s Jewish identity inspired her portrayal of Winehouse. Abela admitted in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar that she initially felt hesitant to play Winehouse in “Back to Black.” However, she gained confidence in the role once she started relating to her on a Jewish level.
Aug 5, 2022 · According to a Variety article, “Abela… is of Jewish heritage, which has been important to the creative team behind the movie, in order to be as authentic as possible to Winehouse’s own background.”
Abela was born in Brighton to actress Caroline Gruber and director Angelo Abela and grew up in Rottingdean with her older brother Jack. Her father is of Maltese-Libyan and English descent, and her mother is of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish ancestry.
- She's from England
- She Was Originally Going to Be A Lawyer Before Pursuing Acting
- She Studied at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- She Already Has An Impressive Acting Résumé
- She's Going to Be in The Upcoming Barbie Movie
- She's Dating Actor Jamie Bogyo
- She Blew Everyone Away with Her Amy Winehouse Audition
Like Winehouse, who was raised in Southgate, London, England, Abela is English. She was born in Brighton, East Sussex, England, on Dec. 7, 1996. Also, like the late singer, Abela is Jewish, telling The Nationalin 2022, "[My] mum and dad come from completely different cultures — my dad is Maltese Arab, and my mum is from a family of Polish Jewish re...
Before embarking on her acting career, Abela was going to pursue a career as a human rights lawyer, telling W magazine, "I got into a ton of universities in the U.K. and while I was looking around, I was supposed to do History with a Law conversion, but I just wasn't interested." Thankfully, her parents supported her decision. "They wanted me to be...
After getting into various universities, Abela ultimately decided to study at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, receiving her BA in Acting Degree in 2019. In addition to being one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, the school has countless notable alumni, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Cynthia Erivo, Anthony Hopkins, T...
While Back to Black is sure to be a big movie role for Abela, she has already made a name for herself on TV. She made her television debut in 2020 on the British series COBRA before she was cast as Yasmin Kara-Hanani on HBO's hit series Industry, which was recently renewed for season 3.
Abela is also set to star in Greta Gerwig's highly anticipated Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Her role was first announcedin July 2022, though it's unclear who she'll be playing. "If you'd have told me that by the time I was 25 I'd have worked with Lena Dunham and Greta Gerwig, I'd have geeked out," she told W Magazine of wor...
Abela is dating actor and fellow RADA alum Jamie Bogyo, who played Chrisitan in the West End production of Moulin Rouge!. The couple recently celebrated their three-year anniversaryin January 2023, and regularly post photos of each other on their respective social media profiles. In December 2021, Bogyo celebrated Abela's birthdaywith a sweet tribu...
Though many actresses auditioned for the Amy Winehouse biopic, Abela was reportedly a front-runner from the very beginning. Per Deadline, Abela's first audition "blew away execs and Taylor-Johnson and put her in the driver's seat to land the role." Additionally, Winehouse's estate has given the seal of approval for the biopic. "We are thrilled that...
- Kelsie Gibson
Her father is of Libyan-Maltese Arab and English heritage. Her mother is of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish ancestry. Daughter of director Angelo Abela and actress Caroline Gruber.
- December 7, 1996
May 15, 2024 · Abela grew up near Brighton in a Jewish family in an analogous situation to Winehouse.
Jan 13, 2023 · Jewish actress Marisa Abela will play iconic singer Amy Winehouse in a new biopic called Back to Black – with a stunning photograph released showing their uncanny likeness.
