Brian was excited to play the lead role in So What If It Rains? Celebrating the anniversary of the Good Friday deal
A former judge on talent show The Voice plays himself in a government-funded short film being screened around the world to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
In the Cinemagic film, named after Kennedy’s 2001 hit So What If It Rains?, the singer plays a role based on himself and the 57-year-old was stunned to discover his real-life ex-girlfriend had been randomly cast role of a blast from the past in the film.
“The weirdest thing was that early in my life I had a couple of girlfriends, and the actress who played my late ex-lover was someone I actually went on a little date with when I was about 15 or 16 years old. this is weird? Kennedy said.
“None of us knew we were signed up and I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’ when I saw the casting. It was absolutely crazy.
“She obviously knew I had become a singer, but I hadn’t seen her for 40 years, and here we were on set.
“The storyline was that the character was an old, old lover of mine from way back in the day—and that’s exactly who she was.”
Brian Kennedy.
The storyline sees Kennedy helping two country brothers, played by newcomers Chris Campbell and Conlaoch Gough, as they attempt to make their big musical breakthrough, highlighting how Northern Ireland has evolved since the singer’s childhood into a modern, vibrant and prosperous place to live. .
So what if it rains? will be screened today until Thursday exclusively at the One Young World Summit in Belfast.
The film was produced by award-winning charity Cinemagic, which worked with Hollywood actors including Liam Neeson and Saoirse Ronan to give young people the opportunity to enter NI’s thriving film and television industry.
Kennedy said the role he played in celebrating the peace agreement was an added motivation to take part in the film.
He famously performed with Sir Van Morrison to celebrate the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
“The two main guys playing the brothers were 16 and 17 years old, and I told them, ‘I’ve got cheese in my refrigerator that’s older than you,'” Kennedy said.
“It’s interesting to be around people who didn’t live through the Troubles. I call them the “quiet generation” because, fortunately, they, like my nephew and niece, can live a life that didn’t exist when I was growing up.
“I was pleased to be able to sort of soundtrack this shift, and things are really changing. The film celebrates the vibrancy of Belfast and reflects on the bright future that is possible here.
“Suddenly we found a mechanism that moves us forward.
“Not at great speed, but certainly moving forward and making progress and not just being stuck all the time and not being able to move.”
Kennedy has overcome a series of health challenges since 2016, including a cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, cardiac arrest, triple heart surgery and a battle with Covid-19, while also dealing with the loss of his 54-year-old brother to cancer.
“It was such a difficult time,” he said. “This year marks my fifth year post-cancer treatment, so I’m hoping to get clear pictures again so I can really put this all behind me and move on to the future.”
“So what if it rains?” funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said: “The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement remains a historic achievement that has brought peace and continues to transform Northern Ireland for the better.
“Now on the world stage for all the right reasons, I am proud that Belfast will host and inspire peacebuilders and world leaders of the future at the One Young World Summit.
“A quarter of a century of peace has boosted our economy and made Northern Ireland the world’s leading film industry centre. Our short film, produced in collaboration with Cinemagic, celebrates an entire generation who grew up in the peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland we see today.”