Amy Winehouse bassist says Marisa Abela’s portrayal of singer takes him ‘back to moments in time’

The new Winehouse biopic is currently in the works, starring Abela as the late legendary singer

Amy Winehouse’s ex-bassist has said that Marisa Abela’s portrayal of the late singer is “evocative”.

Abela is playing the legendary “Rehab” singer in the forthcoming Back to Black biopic about Winehouse.

Dale Davis, who was Winehouse’s bass player for eight months before her death, has since said how uncanny the actor’s performance is.

“There are certain times when I look at Marisa and I’m reminded of Amy, especially in the make-up and sometimes when she talks,” Davis told Mail Online.

“I’m actually taken back to moments in time,” he said. “It’s quite evocative in that way.”

The bass player, who reportedly spoke to the singer on the phone three hours before her death, recently performed a show in Covent Garden with Winehouse’s band.

Davis’ comments come after Abela’s casting was widely criticised by many fans saying that she doesn’t anything like the singer.

Filming of the biopic began in London on 16 January, with photographs surfacing on social media showing the actor playing the role.

Marisa Abela will play Amy Winehouse (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Winehouse’s father, Mitch has since defended the casting, telling US website TMZ: “Marisa’s a great choice for the role, even if she doesn’t look exactly like Amy.”

Abela, who is known for her role in Industry, will play the late singer in the biopic alongside Skins star Jack O’Connell who will play ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she divorced in 2009 two years prior to her death in July 2011.

Back to Black will be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson – who is best known for the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy and Fifty Shades Of Grey.