Killing Bono cast now – Eurovision flop, Julie Walters link and sad death before release

Hollywood star and U2 frontman Bono is one of the world’s biggest music stars – but did you know that he also went to school with another huge name from the entertainment world?

Music critic Neil McCormick was at school with the U2 frontman, with the two friends dreaming of their own lives as rockstars as they performed in separate bands.

Now one of the most celebrated and expert voices in music journalism, Neil wrote about his own experiences in the industry and watching friend Bono’s rise to fame in the book Bono Was My Doppelganger.

The book is described as saying in the blurb: “Neil McCormick always dreamed of life as a rockstar.

“Instead he had to watch while his friend Bono became one of the most famous men on the planet.”

The true story, which even saw Bono write a forward for the book, was later made into the critically acclaimed 2011 Hollywood film Killing Bono starring Misfit’s Robert Sheehan and Shadow and Bone star Ben Barnes.

As Bono celebrates his 62nd birthday today (May 10), Daily Star takes a look at where the cast of the 2011 film are now.

Ben Barnes (Neil McCormick)

Netflix Shadow and Bone star Ben Barnes played the lead role of journalist Neil McCormick in Killing Bono, a few years after the star rose to global fame as the leading role in film The Picture of Dorian Gray and as Prince Caspian in the Disney Chronicles of Narnia film series.

Spiderman and Tick Tick…Boom! star Andrew Garfield also recently revealed that he lost out on the role of Prince Caspian to Ben Barnes, after he was told he ‘was not handsome enough’ for the role.

Andrew told Entertainment Tonight: “I remember I was so desperate. I auditioned for Prince Caspian in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and I thought, ‘This could be it, this could be it.

“And that handsome, brilliant actor Ben Barnes ended up getting the role. I think it was down to me and him, and I remember I was obsessed.”

However he later found out that he did not get the role after being told “It’s because they don’t think you’re handsome enough, Andrew,” but added there were no hard feelings, saying: “Ben Barnes is a very handsome, talented man. So in retrospect, I’m not unhappy with the decision and I think he did a beautiful job.”

Despite Ben being a huge star of the acting world, he is also a talented musician and in 2004, auditioned to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest.

He appeared as part of boyband Hyrise and auditioned for the chance to compete, but the group were not chosen as the winners, with Ben revealing to The Belfast Telegraph: “That experience with the song contest-that-shall-not-be-named did burn me a little bit.

“It showed what happens if you try to do something that isn’t authentically you.”

However, he has not shyed away from music, showing off his impressive vocal and musical talents on social media, as well as releasing an album called Songs For You in 2021, and providing all his own vocals for the songs on the Killing Bono and Easy Virtue film soundtracks.

He has also most recently appeared in TV series including Westworld, Shadow And Bone, The Punisher and is due to appear in The Cabinet of Curiosities.

Away from our screens however, the actor tends to keep his personal life private and it is not currently known if he is in a relationship.

Robert Sheehan (Ivan McCormick)

Misfits star Robert Sheehan starred opposite Ben Barnes as Neil’s brother Ivan McCormick, who in the film, could have had the opportunity to be in U2.

After landing roles as a teenager in Foreign Exchange and Ghostwood, he landed one of his most famous roles as Nathan Young in his E4 series Misfits, along with playing BJ in the critically acclaimed mini-series Red Riding.

Along with starring opposite David Tennant in film Bad Samaritan and Hugo Weaving in Mortal Engines, Robert has risen to global fame as Klaus Hargreeves in the hit Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, with the third series due to air later this year.

He also wrote his first book of fiction called Disappearing Act, which was released earlier this year, with Robert telling The Independent that writing and meditation helped him to cope with the loss of his uncle two years ago in a house fire.

He said: “That was very sad. It was unexpected. I didn’t get to see my family through that time; I was in Toronto making television.

“Writing helped to process the grief. I was meditating on set about three months after he died and somehow I started welling up and I started writing about him on my phone.”

Robert added: “Writing and meditating have definitely helped my growth as a person, and that’s more important than anything material that comes my way.

“Being able to sit with a feeling and just observe it? That’s free, and it’s like a superpower. Everybody should do it.”

Away from the limelight, Robert also dated Irish actress Sofia Boutella from 2014-2018.

Martin McCann (Bono)

Bono is one of the world’s most recognisable stars and voices in the music world, and Martin McCann played the icon perfectly onscreen in Killing Bono in 2011.

Having begun his career as a child actor in theatre productions of Oliver, Bugsy Malone and The Crucible, he landed his first leading role as Bono, before going on to appear in films including Whole Lotta Sole and Woody Harrelson’s directorial debut Lost In London.

Speaking about working with Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson on the film, Martin told Belfast Live: “I really enjoyed the comedy experience with Woody,” adding: “But to do comedy and do it well is a skill, to be able to deliver a comedic line is no easy feat.

“I watched Woody and Owen do this and I have to say, I take my hat off to them.”

Martin also most recently played Bobby Barrett in ITV series Marcella opposite Brookside star Anna Friel, and Keon in short film Superdad from the BAFTA nominated series On The Edge.

Speaking about his role in Superdad, he reflected on the importance of shining a light on mental health in his role, telling The Belfast Telegraph: “The best thing about story-telling is that you get to look under the bonnet of what’s really happening in society and to shed light on something as important as mental health.”

He added: “I didn’t know much about bi-polar and had no idea how it affects relationships and social circles or how people behave going through an episode.

“I went onto YouTube but I didn’t get too in depth. I wanted to find the right balance of what it’s like to be clearly in the middle of an episode but not to come across as overacting.

“As an actor, I found it a very important story to tell.”

Away from our screens however, not much is known about the Belfast actor’s private life, and like his Killing Bono co-stars, tends to keep his personal life away from the limelight.

Pete Postlethwaite (Karl)

Hollywood icon and giant of British theatre Pete Postlethwaite played the McCormick’s landlord Karl in Killing Bono, which was also the actor’s last role before his death in 2011, and was released after Pete had died.

The acting icon was already a huge star, after beginning his career at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre alongside Bill Nighy, Julie Walters (who Pete dated for a period of time) and Matthew Kelly of Stars In Their Eyes fame.

He was even described as “the best actor in the world” by Steven Spielberg for his role in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, before going on to appear in films including Romeo and Juliet, Inception, The Omen and The Town, for which he was posthumously nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Away from our screens, he was also married to former BBC producer Jacqueline Morrish from 2003, with who he had two children called Lily and Billy.

However he also suffered a number of health battles in his life, including being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1990, for which he had surgery.

Over 19 years later, he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, but continued to work until his death on January 2, 2011.

Stars from the world of entertainment paid tribute to the actor, with former girlfriend and Everyman Theatre co-star Julie Walters saying in a statement that he was “the most exciting, exhilarating actor of his generation”.

“He invented edgy. He was an exhilarating person and actor,” she said.

His In The Name Of The Father co-star Daniel Day Lewis also added: “Pos was the one”.

“As students it was him we went to see on stage time and time again. It was him we wanted to be like; wild and true; lion hearted; unselfconscious and deliciously irreverant. He was on our side. He watched out for us.

“We loved him and followed him like happy children, never a breath away from laughter.”

Krysten Ritter (Gloria)

American actress and model Krysten Ritter played Gloria, the manager of Neil and Ivan McCormick’s band, in Killing Bono – after rising to fame as a model walking catwalks in at New York and Paris fashion weeks.

She has since starred in some of the world’s biggest TV series and films, including Veronica Mars, Marvel series Jessica Jones, Nightbooks, The Defenders and Breaking Bad.

Krysten is soon to appear in TV series Love And Death, which is currently in post-production.

It is no surprise that as an actress, model and also an author, the star has a huge estimated net worth of over £5.5million.

In her personal life, the star is also in a long term relationship with musician Adam Grunduciel, with who she has a son, who was born in 2019.

Ralph Brown (Leo)

Ralph Brown played Leo in Killing Bono, but the actor was already a huge star after appearing as Danny in cult 1987 film Withnail and I, a role he parodied in 1993’s comedy sequel Wayne’s World 2 as roadie Del Preston.

Ralph has also enjoyed huge Hollywood success in films including Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, as DJ Bob in 2009’s The Boat that Rocked, Frank Morgan in series one of BBC drama Life on Mars and Dr. Ivchenko in Marvel’s Agent Carter series in 2015.

He also ventured into the world of soaps too, after playing Barney for five episodes of Coronation Street in 2005.

Most recently he starred in the television series Godfathers of Harlem in 2021 and is listed as starring in films currently in post-production.

Ralph has been married to Jenny Jules since 1992.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk