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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Dominique Hines

Sinead O’Connor was ‘in talks for a huge Hollywood star to play her’ in biopic

Sinead O’Connor was said to have been in talks to release her biopic in the weeks before her death.

The Nothing Compares to U singer, who died on July 26 aged 56 after being found unresponsive in her London home, was reportedly preparing for her remarkable life story to hit the screen and wanted a big Hollywood star to play her.

The film was to be based on her 2021 autobiography Rememberings, with several actresses, including Demi Moore reportedly in mind for the lead role of O’Connor in different stages of her life.

Little Women actress Saoirse Ronan was also said to have been in the mix, along with Malpractice star Niamh Algar.

“Sinead was keen to explore making her memoir into her film and she had a raft of ideas about how it would look on screen,” a source told The Sun.

Demi Moore is said to have been eyed-up to play the singer (Getty Images)

“She had a huge amount of respect for Demi and thought Niamh was a real rising star after she saw her in her TV series The Virtues.

“Sinead, too, thought Saoirse was fierce and loved her from her film Brooklyn in 2015 when she played an Irish migrant.

“It was clear Sinéad had given real thought to the biopic and seemed keen to get involved in the script,” the source added.

O’Connor’s funeral took place Tuesday, August 8 and saw crowds of fans lining the streets of Bray, County Wicklow to honour the singer.

Fans gathered to send off the late singer at her funeral last week (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)

The likes of Sir Bob Geldof and U2’s Bono were also in attendance.

A eulogy for O’Connor said she “suffered more than her share of hardship and adversity”.

Imam Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri said: “Gifted with a voice that moved a generation of young people, she could reduce listeners to tears by her otherworldly resonance.

“One need only listen to her a cappella version of Danny Boy or the traditional Irish tune Molly Malone to know this about her gift. Sinead’s voice carried with it an undertone of hope, of finding one’s way home.

Bob Geldof rides in a taxi as part of the funeral cortege (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)

“The Irish people have long found solace in song from the sufferings of this lower abode, and Sinead was no exception, and in sharing that solace, she brought joy to countless people the world over.”

O’Connor’s death is not being treated as suspicious by authorities.

A London coroner did not find a medical cause of death and suggested that the post-mortem examination results may take several weeks.

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