‘We will not accept fake Patois’: Jamaican linguist on dialogue in Bob Marley biopic

Kingsley Ben-Adir, who plays Bob Marley in One Love, says getting to grips with Jamaican Patois was like ‘learning to play a part in French’. Photograph: Chiabella James/AP

When the Jamaican linguist Dr Joseph Farquharson agreed to consult on the Bob Marley biopic One Love, there was one major motivating factor: wanting to avoid another Cool Runnings.

The 1993 comedy about the real-life Jamaican Olympic bobsled team is a well-loved classic in many parts of the English-speaking world but has also become a cautionary tale about what happens when Hollywood attempts to “globalise” the Jamaican accent and distinct language.