Britney Spears has reportedly expressed a desire to portray late Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor in an upcoming biopic, but industry insiders say producers are leaning toward Natalie Portman for the role.
According to RadarOnline, Spears, 43, has told friends she believes her own past struggles and highly publicized head-shaving incident in 2007 give her a unique connection to O'Connor, who rose to global fame with her 1990 hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" and was known for her shaved head.
"Britney thinks she already lived through that raw, shaved-head look which Sinéad made iconic, and she feels that makes her the natural choice," a source close to the singer told the outlet.
However, producers of the project, which is being developed by Irish company ie: entertainment, reportedly consider Portman, 44, the leading candidate. Portman has previously shaved her head for her role in V for Vendetta and is seen as having the acting range to portray O'Connor's complexity.
"Britney is a pop icon in her own right, but shaving your head's not enough to step into Sinéad's shoes," one Hollywood casting executive said. "This is about embodying a whole spirit and struggle – not just a haircut."
The film will be based on O'Connor's 2021 memoir Rememberings. O'Connor, who died in July 2023 at age 56, had reportedly been in early discussions about a dramatization of her life prior to her death.
Spears, whose life and career have been marked by similar public battles with fame and mental health, is said to see parallels between her own experiences and O'Connor's. Still, insiders stress the project is not a vehicle for pop stardom but a demanding biopic requiring a nuanced performance.
"People love Britney, but this isn't a concert comeback opportunity," one producer familiar with the project said. "Natalie Portman is one of the actresses filmmakers trust to deliver that level of portrayal."
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