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British singer Amy Winehouse is back in the spotlight in the new film "Back to Black."
The biopic follows her rise to fame, her pain, and the personal struggles she faced ahead of her death.
British actress Marisa Abela plays the late Amy Winehouse in this biopic, and she does all of the vocals too.
Here's a crazy fact: before this film, Abela didn't sing.
But she put in the work, training with a vocal coach and bringing the singer's story to life in a way that has fans floored by her performance.
"It's a huge responsibility and an honor," Abela says. "I think if I stopped to really let fear in, it would have become overwhelming. It was only sort of once we finished filming, and I started talking to people about it, that I realized I'd sort of done kind of a mad thing taking this on."
Abela says she learned so many things from Winehouse as she learned about her life and her story.
"She's the essence of a creative individual," Abela says. "Amy's raw authenticity, her bravery, her artistry. I think it's a lesson for all of us."
Winehouse died at the young age of 27 from alcohol toxicity.
Her death came as a shock to fans, and the industry.
Winehouse won five Grammys in 2008, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Rehab," and Best New Artist.
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson says she wants this film to celebrate Winehouse, not judge her.
"We know she had a tragic end, but I want people to come out and immediately want to put the music back on and celebrate her," Taylor-Johnson says, "and just re-listen to it with this sort of almost fresh perspective."
Abela added that the reason she poured "blood, sweat and tears" into this role is because she knew firsthand how much Winehouse meant to people.
"Back to Black" is in theaters now.
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