Less than a month before his bizarre death in a Sydney hotel, troubled Aussie pop icon Michael Hutchence secretly made a film that seems to have foreshadowed the tragedy in which he took his own life.
In the rock film Limp, he delivers a series of haunting lines on suicide, playing a powerful character who is obsessed with the chilling subject.
Only now has New Idea uncovered the extraordinary details of Michael's last film role. While his lover Paula Yates knew of his commitment to the project, he went to great lengths to keep his involvement in the independently made film hush-hush.
After his shock death and the coroners verdict that the INXS lead singer had hung himself, the movie's producers went into hiding to complete the project in Hollywood, fearing accusations that the volatile content of his role may have influenced the rocker.
Incredibly, Michael's screen role is laced with references to suicide. His character says Nirvana lead localist Kurt Cobain was great because his suicide increased record sales. "It was brilliant on his part," says Michael
in the movie. "Overwise he would have ended up just another flavour of the month, flavour of the day...whatever."
In another scene Michael screams at a musician: "Give me one good reason why you shouldn't kill yourself! Alive and healthy with nothing to live for...it's all been done before."
Then he adds quietly: "That's where the scary place is..."
Michael took extensive notes about his character. Filmaker Duane Lavold, who is Limp's star, writer and director, says: "Michael was passionate. We talked about every line of his dialogue."
With the numerous references to suicide, the role has an uncanny similarities to Michael's death.
Significantly, he chose the film because his role held enormous appeal to him. He was seeking a movie career and had already turned down a part in the Aussie hit Priscilla Queen of the Desert because of singing engagements.
Co-producer Heidi Lavold - who introduced Michael to the movie - recalls: "He did it with such heart and truth, it's eerie. You think it almost reflects reality. But it doesn't".
Now Limp, which has being tipped to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival in May, will be dedicated to the memory of the tragic singer. Two of his songs from the soundtrack are also in production.
Heidi hopes the movie will give Tiger Lily - the baby daughter Michael adored but who will never get to know her father - a vision of Michael just weeks before his death. "He looks wonderful," Heidi says. "She can see him
in life, in colour and on film."
Dressed in black, Michael walks into a nightclub with grace and intensity. His black hair is waving, his body is twisting and his dark eyes are captivating. There is no sign of depression or anxiety.
Actor and co-producer Robby Sutton also looks forward to the singer's family and friends being able to see him on the big screen. Robby says: "He is living on in the film and he was so real, so good that they will be proud of him."
Limp is a comedy drama about a musician who becomes impotent when his dream crashes. Michael has a key role as a jaded record producer. Michael flew himself to Limp's filming location in Vancouver, Canada, where he acted without payment and paid for his hotel and his own expenses.
Duane Lavold recalls Michael as being positive, taking his part seriously while joking and playing guitar with the cast and crew between takes. Duane says: "The obvious thing is that people will say the movie made him
think of suicide. But Michael thought what Cobain did was wrong."
Heidi Lavold adds that she recalls Michael talking about suicide only in relation to his movie character.
On November 22, 1997, a maid found Michael's naked body in his suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Sydney. Despite the findings of the coroner, rumours still circulate about whether he committed suicide or accidentally lost his life during a solo sex act.