Misfits actress Ruth Negga has revealed that while starring as Shirley Bassey in a TV biopic about the singer’s life, she was worried that her portrayal may come across to viewers as “a parody.”

The drama, entitled ‘Shirley’ will air on Thursday, September 29, on BBC2 & BBC HD as part of the broadcaster’s Mixed Race season.

Speaking to TV & Satellite Week, Ruth revealed that she only had eight days to prepare for her role, so she “lived and breathed Shirley” during the run up to filming.

She added, “There’s not much footage of her early days. So I lived, ate and breathed Shirley for eight days… Read more & comment »

This intimate and revealing drama tells the extraordinary life story of Dame Shirley Bassey, one of Britain’s national treasures and one of the world’s most successful divas. But her rise from poverty to international stardom is no ordinary rags to riches story. Set against the backdrop of mixed-race Britain from the Thirties to the Sixties, this is a story of love, loss and ambition.

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