Marisa Abela underwent “hardcore” preparation to get ready to play Amy Winehouse in Back to Black.

The Industry actress revealed to NME that she had four months to prepare to portray the Rehab singer before the cameras started rolling on Sam Taylor-Johnson’s biographical drama.

“It was a lot! It was amazing, it was a big task and it took a long time. We’ve been living with this film for over a year now and I had four months to really get into preparation mode,” she told the outlet. “It was hardcore, but it was great.”

Taylor-Johnson previously revealed to Empire magazine that Abela went away and “started training her voice” after booking the role and ended up singing the entire movie “beginning to end” instead of lip-syncing to recordings.

During her interview with NME, Abela was asked to share what learned from the project.

“There are so many (stories that stuck with me), but it’s more just her essence. I think that will stay with me forever now,” she explained. “If I’ve learned anything from Amy it’s to be fearless. It’s an incredible lesson to be able to get so close to.”

She also named Stronger Than Me and Love Is A Losing Game as her favourite Winehouse songs.

Back to Black, also starring Eddie Marsan, Jack O’Connell and Lesley Manville, will be released in cinemas on 12 April.

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