“I get the chance to peel back the layers of my culture through my work again and again. Doing it through Bob and Rita’s story is almost a personal love letter to women like her. I hope Jamaica can feel proud of what we’ve created,” she articulates.
The movie unfolds against the backdrop of a pivotal period in Jamaica and Marley’s history, commencing with the attempt on his life in December 1976, where Rita, alongside his manager Don Taylor, was shot by assailants seeking to silence him. The Paramount Pictures release chronicles Bob Marley’s subsequent sojourn to the UK, where he produced the albums Exodus and Kaya during an 18-month self-imposed exile, leading back to the iconic One Love Peace Concert in Kingston.
The narrative of Rita Marley, often left untold, is explored in depth, portraying her role as the wife of reggae’s preeminent star. Lynch asserts that, after people watch the movie, Rita’s essence will be known to the audience as intimately as she came to know her during the filming process.
“Getting to know Rita, through spending time with her personally and on the page, has been one of the biggest gifts. Her feminine power is so apparent and mighty that my core has almost received a resurgence by playing her. I could retire tomorrow and feel I went out with one of the best decisions for my spirit, my career, and my culture,” Lynch shares with Elle.
A 36-year-old, third-generation Jamaican born in 1987 in Hammersmith, London, Lynch proudly embraces her cultural heritage beyond merely being of Jamaican descent.
“I feel Jamaican British at all times because I lead with my culture for everything. I love the subculture I was a part of in west London. That was a special experience for me. If there’s anything that I represent, as a British Black girl, it’s west London, specifically.”
An alumna of Arts Educational Schools, Lynch, who grew up under the guidance of her paternal grandmother, fondly referred to as “Nan,” navigates a flourishing career in Hollywood while carrying her legacy.
“I genuinely have regular conversations with my ancestors – I can hear them, I can sense them. I can understand the direction that they’re trying to lead me in. I’ve taken their guidance on everything, and it means that certain things in my life look a little miraculous from the outside, but I know that there’s construction happening on the inside, and it’s because of them.”
