Richard Curtis thinks his Beatles-inspired comedy ‘Yesterday’ is "really about" Ed Sheeran.
The 62-year-old writer’s latest film follows Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) who awakes from a blackout to discover he’s the only person to know the music of the ‘Help’ hitmakers and Richard thinks giving the ‘Shape of You’ singer a cameo in the movie was "perfect casting" because his own life has been so similar to that of the central character.
He said: "In a way, the film is really about Ed.
"Ed was from round where we live in Suffolk and couldn’t be a more normal and delightful fellow.
"His girlfriend is somebody he went to school with, which is what the film is about.
"It is a gimmicky cameo and in a way it is the best casting possible because he is almost the lead character."
While both Richard and director Danny Boyle were keen for the Beatles’ music to be the focus of the story, the script sent it in a different direction, but one which still holds universal appeal.
Richard told Empire magazine: "We both wanted to make a beautiful film about this music. But the script ended up being about how you live the right life.
"Everybody is thinking a lot about imposter syndrome. We’ve all got it. Danny and I have both got it.
"Every single person on Instagram has got it.
"We are all presenting the glamorous version of ourselves but thinking, ‘That is not really me.’ "
Danny added: "Jack is a very ordinary, not very successful, singer/songwriter.
"He’s got a beautiful, everyman quality and he bumps into this myth which transforms him into a world personality. I’m very proud of that dynamic, of trying to find an ordinariness in a person that elevates into something mythic."
Richard Curtis inspired by Ed Sheeran
