Bass-baritone William Shimell makes his film debut opposite Juliette Binoche in Certified Copy, the Iranian director's new movie, which will have its world premiere in Cannes
When Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy premieres at the Cannes film festival this month, all eyes will be on the director's first movie made outside his native Iran.
Just as intriguingly, though, Juliette Binoche's co-star in the movie will not be Robert de Niro – who was rumoured to have been in talks for the part – but rather, an unknown British man.
Unknown, that is, in cinema circles. William Shimell is in fact a respected opera singer, a bass-baritone who has sung at the Met, La Scala and the Royal Opera House over the course of a long and distinguished musical career.
But Shimell had never acted in a film before working on Certifed Copy. In fact, he had never acted in straight theatre of any kind.
When Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy premieres at the Cannes film festival this month, all eyes will be on the director's first movie made outside his native Iran.
Just as intriguingly, though, Juliette Binoche's co-star in the movie will not be Robert de Niro – who was rumoured to have been in talks for the part – but rather, an unknown British man.
Unknown, that is, in cinema circles. William Shimell is in fact a respected opera singer, a bass-baritone who has sung at the Met, La Scala and the Royal Opera House over the course of a long and distinguished musical career.
But Shimell had never acted in a film before working on Certifed Copy. In fact, he had never acted in straight theatre of any kind.
- 5/7/2010
- by Charlotte Higgins
- The Guardian - Film News
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