Bob Marley Biopic – Ziggy Praises Fae Ellington for Dialect Coaching 

Ziggy Marley gave veteran Jamaican broadcaster Fae Ellington her flowers for her efforts as a dialect teacher on the Paramount Pictures film Bob Marley: One Love.

Ellington instructed Jamaican and foreign performers on the subtleties of the language unique to the 1976–1978 time frame, which was a crucial time in Bob Marley’s life.

On March 6, 2024, Ziggy took to Instagram to convey his sincere thanks for her priceless contribution to the movie, which has received positive reviews, especially for the non-Jamaican performers’ authentic Jamaican accents.

“I want to give a hug of gratitude and thanks to our sister, friend, mother figure, godmother, aunty dialect coach, Patois language authority, historian, our 🇯🇲 national treasure, a great example of a human being, the beloved and treasured @fae.ellington affectionately know as ‘ Aunty Fae’ on set and off,” Some photos from the Jamaican set were uploaded by Ziggy along with a message.

He further noted: “I can say so much about this woman and every Jamaican who worked with us on the film know what I’m talking about. I use to hear her on the radio when I was going to school “On the Morning ride.” We love you Fae and thank you for your guidance, energy, work ethic, knowledge, persistence, and presence. JAH.”

In a previous interview with a local newspaper, Ellington minimized her participation in the movie, focusing instead on the teamwork that went into the performers’ effective portrayals of their parts.

She appreciated the knowledge of Brett Tyne, an American living in the UK who specializes in conversation and dialect coaching, and Dr. Joseph Farquharson, the director of the University of the West Indies’ Jamaica Language Unit. She also gave the British actresses Lashana Lynch (as Rita Marley) and Kingsley Ben-Adir (as Bob Marley) credit for their dedication.

“The actors, particularly Lashana Lynch, who portrayed Rita, dedicated themselves to understanding their characters deeply. Lashana spent about four hours with Mrs Marley, while Ben-Adir spent many hours talking with Bob’s friends and relatives, and investigating not only the legend’s physical and day-to-day life and mannerisms but also his spiritual side that has pulled persons from all over the world together,” Ellington noted.

She said that the cast’s performance had impressed her.

“Getting an accent right depends on many things, one of them is the length of time you have to spend on it, and also the ability of the person to pick up the accent quickly,” she noted.

“Accents are easy for some people, and not for others. You need a lot of time to get accents right, the Jamaican accent in particular. If you don’t have that time, you won’t have the same results, but I think the cast members did extremely well.”

She noted, “It was a team effort but I’m very honored and privileged, and, looking back, it makes me feel that I am valued for what I have garnered over the years. It also makes me feel valued for my knowledge of our Jamaican culture and how I’ve used the language with no shame, but with elegance and competence. I’m honored to have the ability to go between both our languages with such ease. I feel good so till!”

Adding to her list of film credits which already includes Get Millie Back, Black Cake (2023), and Winter (2018), comes Ellington’s fourth dialect coaching credit, Bob Marley: One Love.