Flora and Son director John Carney has praised Eve Hewson for accepting a musical role when her father is U2 star Bono.

In the new musical comedy-drama, the Bad Sisters actress plays young mum Flora, who finds an acoustic guitar in a skip and bonds with her rebellious teenage son over music.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Carney praised the 32-year-old for having the courage to follow in her father’s footsteps on-screen.

“I don’t think she has ever thought of herself as a singer,” the Sing Street filmmaker shared. “She was never going to try and put her hand over the handprint of her dad in the cement. Never. And she’s right because he is one of the greatest rock voices of many, many decades.

“And yet she had the courage and confidence to go near this part because she understood that it’s not about her being an amazing singer or anything like that. She didn’t need to be a great singer, but she can hold a tune. She’s got a perfectly nice voice. But I don’t think the movie is about her being a fab singer.”

The Once director immediately knew Hewson was “a match made in heaven” for Flora when he met her over Zoom.

“She made the Zoom call feel like anybody else coming after the Zoom call wouldn’t be her. I got off the call saying, ‘Well, now it has to be her.’ She made good on that promise. She really did choke the hell out of that part every day,” he praised.

Flora and Son, also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is streaming now on Apple TV+.

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