Ed Sheeran has talent for acting, he should do more movies, says Adam Deacon who reveals they rehearsed in singer’s pub
HE is one of the biggest music superstars on the planet but it turns out Ed Sheeran didn’t need much persuading when it came to taking on his first big film role.
The Shape Of You singer, who has 14 No1 singles and seven No1 albums under his belt, has a starring role in Adam Deacon’s latest film Sumotherhood.
And in an exclusive chat as he takes over Bizarre HQ, Adam admitted he had no idea how keen Ed was to get onto the silver screen.
Adam said: “I put him in the original script but it was a much smaller part. I just wasn’t sure how I was going to make it happen.
“I ended up having a facetime with him and he was quite clear that he didn’t want to play himself, he just wanted to act.
“We went round to his house and we rehearsed in his pub. He realised we’re not trying to take ourselves too seriously. There was a lot of dialogue and he learned it word for word.
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“I felt like he trusted me, which I really respect.”
Ed plays a homeless drug addict in the film and will be seen sending himself up as he sings his 2014 song Thinking Out Loud.
And incredibly, Adam admits that was all Ed’s quick thinking as he improvised during the hilarious scene in the film, which is out October 13.
Adam said: “On set he was a bit nervous but as the takes went by he just came out of his shell and was a lot more confident.
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“He even improvised and started singing the Thinking Out Loud remix which I decided to keep in the film.
“I think he should act more, I think he’s got that talent.”
One thing’s for sure, if Adam manages to get Ed on board again they will need to tighten up security on location.
Recalling filming alongside Ed, Adam – who also hired Jaime Winstone and Jennifer Saunders for the flic – said they had to wrap up early one day after a hoard of schoolkids discovered their location.
Adam laughed: “We were filming in a street in East London and it was really quiet, a bit too quiet.
“All of a sudden about 400 school kids came out of nowhere and literally bombarded the set.
“Ed couldn’t say goodbye to anyone and he had no choice but to get in a cab and rush off.”
Sumotherhood is the third instalment in his cult series, which Adam started with Kidulthood in 2006 and Adulthood in 2008.
But while Adam’s career went stellar after he won the Bafta Rising Star award in 2012, he revealed he had endured a series of personal struggles, including one with his mental health.
Two years after winning the coveted gong he was sectioned and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Since then, Adam has continued to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues and used his Sumotherhood character Riko to do this.
Asked if Riko was an extension of himself, Adam said: “We’re completely different, but I knew that I wanted certain aspects to touch on certain things that I’ve gone through myself, such as being bipolar.
“We needed to do it in a way that didn’t come across preachy or overbearing, but done in an authentic way to get people talking about men’s mental health.”
Opening up on his personal struggles and why it was important for him to highlight them in the film Adam added: “What I went through was so public at the time.
“I remember sitting there thinking to myself, when I get out of this, or when I get to the other side I need to try and raise awareness.
“It’s okay for young men to talk to their friends about it. It’s okay if you know someone that’s got bipolar or they suffer from another mental health issue.
“Go that extra mile, check up on your friends.”
Adam earned his first credit as a producer on Sumotherhood, which was in the works for eight years.
And he has big plans for the future.
He said: “I definitely want to direct more. I love directing. I love acting but I really want to work on other people’s work.
“Everything I’ve directed was always the stuff that I’ve written. I’d love to be able to take someone else’s work and put my own stamp on it.
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“I went through a slow period and I feel like this film is me proving myself to the industry again that I can do my job and I can be professional.
“I’m back, I feel healthy and I’m confident, so I just want to be working and acting.”
SOME of the biggest names in UK rap star in the flick, including Lethal Bizzle and Charlie Sloth.
But when it came to the soundtrack, Adam decided to put some of his own work forward.
He explained: “I actually have a few tracks at the end of the credits, which was lovely to do.
“I love music – I find it very therapeutic. I just love being creative.”
JEREMY Corbyn makes a surprise cameo in Sumotherhood – but he did swerve a rude line in the script.
The unlikely duo met years back when Jeremy went to see a play Adam was in.
Adam explained: “The script said, ‘Allow it, pu**yhole’ and he was like, ‘No, I can’t be saying that.’
In the film, Jeremy says: ‘Allow it, wasteman,” instead.