Date: 18th September 2000

Unknown To Play Lennon


Philip McQuillan, a 23-year-old Irish musician who has never acted before, has been chosen to play John Lennon in the upcoming HBO film In His Life -- The John Lennon Story, published reports said today (Monday).

McQuillan reportedly works in a Dublin guitar shop. Today's (Monday) London Daily Express quoted an unnamed source on the film's production team as saying, "Philip has a great singing voice, is a wonderful musician and, most importantly, he embodies the spirit of John Lennon."

In an interview with today's New York Daily News, writer-producer Michael O'Hara indicated that he and his colleagues had looked at more than 300 actors who auditioned for the role. "We actually had to postpone filming for a week because we hadn't found him," O'Hara told the newspaper. "It was just an incredible process. Lennon was not an easy person to cast."

Source: Studio Briefing