Blake Richardson, who plays Sir Paul McCartney in a forthcoming film about Beatles manager Brian Epstein, said he has been watching the band’s performances since he was a child.
The 22-year-old frontman of Brit pop band New Hope Club is set to make his acting debut as one of the Fab Four in Midas Man.
He will star alongside Jonah Lees as John Lennon, Leo Harvey-Elledge as George Harrison, and Campbell Wallace as Sir Ringo Starr in the new biopic.
The film will highlight Epstein’s unparalleled influence on pop music worldwide and his own tragic story.
Richardson said: “I’ve been watching The Beatles’ performances since I was 10. We’ve always done a Beatles song in our live sets.
“I did a tweet when I was like 16 or 17, being like ‘If I could ever do a film, I’d just want to play Paul McCartney in a film’.”
Bandmate Reece Bibby admitted New Hope Club had exploited Richardson’s resemblance to Sir Paul when they were in America.
“One of the first times when we were in LA, a cab driver heard our accents and asked if we were from England, and we were joking around saying ‘This one, he’s Paul McCartney’s grandson’,” he said.
The group, who have enjoyed a UK top five album, have released two new singles, Girl Who Does Both and Getting Better, marking Richardson’s debut as producer.
The Manchester-based trio, who have been performing together since their teens, said they are inspired by great British bands including The Beatles, The Stone Roses and Oasis.
They revealed they even have a secret invitation-only Instagram account to stay close to their biggest fans.
Band member George Smith said: “That’s where we can be ourselves. We’ve always interacted with fans on social media, since we started as 15-year-olds.
“But it’s the supporters who have been with us through everything who we invite to that account. It’s fantastic to have that bond.
“We are unusually close to our fans, that’s where the name comes from – we’re New Hope ‘Club’ for a reason.
“The band and the fans are a team and it’s always been that way. They’re like family.”
The band will begin their US tour in July.
