Lily Allen lands movie role

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Lily Allen is set to follow her father and brother into the movie business after landing her first role in a feature film.

The British singing sensation has been making waves on both sides of the Atlantic over the past two years with her distinctive musical style.

Her father Keith has long been a well established British actor while her brother Alfie is also in the movie business.

Now, Lily will follow in their footsteps with a role in a forthcoming spoof movie version of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice called Jane Austen Handheld.

Allen will play Lydia Bennet’s character, while the cast will also include British actors Stephen Fry and Russell Brand, and Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame.

Actors for the lead roles of Lizzie Bennet and Mr Darcy have yet to be found for the $5 million production. Filming is due to begin next spring.

This will be a new departure for 22-year-old Allen, who has already established a successful music career. She has also become well known for her party lifestyle.

She hit the headlines in the United States in August when she was refused entry to the country and had her work visa revoked after she flew in to attend the MTV Video Music Awards launch. She was held at Los Angeles International Airport for questioning about an arrest for an assault outside a London nightclub in June.

She said at the time: “I am trying everything I can to sort this out. I don’t like letting my fans down.”

However, she was forced to cancel her September tour in the United States a few days later. This was the second major disappointment for Allen’s fans in the United States this year. She cancelled a number of performances in spring, saying she was “bored”.