The Mummy star Sofia Boutella missed out on a dream gig with Michael Jackson, because he died before they met.
The Algerian star was a dancer before she found fame on the big screen and reveals she auditioned for the King of Pop's This is It concert residency while she was performing with Madonna.
Sofia tells WENN she had no idea she'd book the gig and simply went along in the hope of meeting one of her pop idols.
"I was still on tour with Madonna when I went to the audition for Michael," she explains. "I ended up booking it but I couldn't go because I was with Madonna. And she asked, 'Why would you go on the audition if you knew you were on tour with me?' And I said I didn't think I would book it.
"I ended up going back on tour with her and was supposed to meet with Michael once I was done, which was just six months after, but he passed away in the meantime.
"I had spoken to him on the phone, talking about starting to rehearse together but I didn't get close to him unfortunately. He was an incredible artist."
And the actress, who also played Charlize Theron's love interest in Atomic Blonde, will always be grateful to Madonna for helping her achieve her acting dreams: "She always knew that I wanted to act and was in the process of changing to acting and we'd talk all the time. She's very supportive and lovely.
"Her work ethic and her dedication to her passion is unbelievable... Being around her and seeing what she's still driven by was fascinating to me. She works harder than anybody I know."
