READER’S DIGESTJULY 2019 • 25some silly. I realised that that’s what I
like to do in a film—I mix ingredients
as much as possible.”
It’s that mixture that makes
Yesterday so special. As with any
Richard Curtis script, there are plenty
of laughs but also romance, sadness,
struggle. And the moments of joy
do often come from unexpected
places, and an unexpected cast.
Taking the lead role is Hollywood-
newcomer Himesh Patel, previously
of EastEnders fame, and Danny knew
from the moment of his audition that
he was the man for the job.
“We saw people who could play
better than Himesh, but his voice, has
something about it which I still can’t
quite put a finger on. When he played
in his audition, it was like being
reintroduced to the songs. ‘Yesterday’
is a song I know so well, and yet every
time he plays it it’s like hearing it
anew. There’s a moment in casting
that you get occasionally where you
go, ‘that’s her’ or ‘that’s him’ and
even though all the other factors tell
you no—perhaps the studio wants
someone more famous—you just
know that’s the person.”
Perhaps another unexpected choice
was the decision to cast singer Ed
Sheeran, who had previously dabbled
with acting through a Game of Thrones
cameo, but had never taken on a role
of this muster.
“The first time I met Ed, he didn’t
really know who I was—it was very
funny. He was sat opposite me and I“The first time I met
Ed Sheeran, he didn’t
know who I was—it
was very funny”