Marisa Abela Says She's 'Excited' for Fans to Hear Her Sing as Amy Winehouse in “Back to Black” (Exclusive)

"It doesn't feel like it's me singing," Abela told PEOPLE at the world premiere of 'Back to Black' on April 8

Marisa Abela is looking forward to fans hearing her take on a legendary singer.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the world premiere of Back to Black in London on April 8, Abela, 27, revealed that playing Amy Winehouse in the upcoming biopic was somewhat of an out of body experience.

“I'm really excited,” Abela tells PEOPLE of moviegoers seeing her performance. “It doesn't feel like it's me singing. You know, when you inhabit a character, you do what it is that you need to do.”

She adds, “And that's my job as an actor to inhabit her in every corner of her life and to be able to tell the story at every single moment of her life.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson Share Red Carpet Date Night at Amy Winehouse Biopic Premiere

Abela also opened up about what she learned about Winehouse as a person while making the movie. Winehouse died from accidental alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27.

“I mean, so much, you know, I think more than anything just how singular of an artist she was, how authentic, you know, as a songwriter, one of the most incredible poets,” she says.

Fans saw the first look at Abela’s portrayal of Winehouse in January 2023 when director Sam Taylor-Johnson shared a series of photos on Instagram of Abela sporting Winehouse's signature beehive hairstyle and large hoop earrings.

Related: Back to Black Full Trailer: Industry Star Marisa Abela Portrays Amy Winehouse's Tragic Downfall

In an official synopsis for the film, Back to Black is described as "extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame."

"Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time," the synopsis reads.

The film also features Unbroken star Jack O'Connell, who plays the late singer's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

Black to Black is set to be released in theaters on May 17.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.