What actress is playing Aretha Franklin in the movie Respect?

Jennifer Hudson
Before her death, legendary singer Aretha Franklin hand-picked Jennifer Hudson to portray the “Queen of Soul” in a biopic. The starring role in “Respect” is one the American Idol finalist doesn’t take lightly.

Is Respect a true story of Aretha Franklin?

Yes. The true story behind the Respect movie confirms that Aretha Franklin’s parents, Barbara and C. L. Franklin, separated in 1948, mainly due to C. L.’s perpetual infidelities, in addition to C. L. fathering a daughter to a 12-year-old girl.

Why did Cynthia Erivo play Aretha Franklin?

“I wanted to show her humanness, her vulnerability and the fact she wasn’t perfect,” Cynthia Erivo says of portraying Aretha Franklin in “Genius: Aretha.”

Is Aretha sister Erma still living?

Franklin died of cancer in Detroit, Michigan on September 7, 2002, at age 64. She is interred at Detroit’s historic Woodlawn Cemetery.

Did Aretha Franklin chose Jennifer Hudson to play her?

Jennifer Hudson has revealed she was chosen by Aretha Franklin to play the singer in the biopic Respect. Following Hudson’s breakthrough performance in 2006’s Dreamgirls, which earned her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Franklin was so impressed she put forward Hudson’s name to star in a biopic about her life.

Did Aretha ask Jennifer Hudson for her?

Following the show, they struck up a close friendship, which culminated in Franklin personally asking Hudson to play her in an eventual film about her life. Hudson is speaking from her home in LA. Behind her is a grand piano upon which sit several black and white photographs of Franklin, who died in 2018 aged 76.

Can Cynthia Erivo really sing?

In Nat Geo’s video clip above, watch Erivo singing “How I Got Over” — yes, she sings her own songs. The scene is a pivotal moment in the series, as the actress fully steps into Franklin’s shoes for the first time and a star is born before our eyes, both on-screen and off.

Is Cynthia Erivo in Respect?

While “Respect” is yet to be screened and reviewed, Emmy contender Erivo has been hailed for her portrayal of Franklin in “Genius: Aretha,” which she landed after producers Clive Davis and Brian Grazer saw video of Erivo singing Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way” on the Tonys red carpet in 2019.

Who fathered Aretha Franklin’s child when she was 12?

Donald Burke
Clarence Franklin Franklin’s oldest son, Clarence was born when she was 12 years old in 1955. His father was believed to be Franklin’s classmate, Donald Burke according to her biographer and author of Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin, David Ritz.

Was Aretha Franklin’s father the father of her child?

Franklin was the mother of four sons. She first became pregnant at the age of 12 and gave birth to her first child, named Clarence after her father, on January 28, 1955. In one of her handwritten wills, discovered in 2019, Franklin revealed that the father was Edward Jordan.

Did Jennifer Hudson gain weight for the movie Aretha Franklin?

Jennifer Hudson just casually dropped photos of herself looking super toned on Instagram. The singer is starring as legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin in the upcoming movie, Respect. Jennifer lost 80 pounds, going from a size 16 to a size 6, and a lot was due to healthy eating.

How did Aretha do at the box office?

Despite underperforming at the box office with a gross of over $32 million against a $55 million budget, the film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances, the film’s production values, and costume design, but received criticism for its screenplay and runtime.

Does Jennifer Hudson do her own singing in Respect?

Rather than lip-syncing to a pre-recorded track, Jennifer Hudson did all her own singing live on set for Respect. Like Franklin, Hudson grew up singing in church. She went to be a star of American Idol, before having her breakthrough as as the tempestuous Effie White in Dreamgirls.

What happened to Aretha Franklin’s life?

Between 1967 and ’68, Aretha was one of radio’s biggest stars. She released four albums that made Billboard’s Top 10 and won her first two Grammys. She was also on the cover of Time, with the story inside mentioning her husband knocking her around in public at an Atlanta hotel. Meanwhile, her own drinking raged.

Did Aretha Franklin need 100 biopics?

This series is called Genius — it is a tribute to Aretha’s genius — something we hope we can all celebrate. One of the comments from a guest attending our premiere last week was: ‘Aretha lived so much life… she needs 100 biopics!.’

Why did Aretha Franklin sign with Atlantic Records?

Despite making numerous albums with Columbia Records, none of them were “really me ,” Aretha Franklin would later say. So when her contract with Columbia expired, Franklin linked up with producer Jerry Wexler and signed with Atlantic Records in 1966. However, working with Atlantic Records had a rough start.

Why did Aretha Franklin insist on being paid in cash?

Part of this is also related to the fact that Franklin famously insisted on being paid in cash. According to Billboard, this was because during the start of her career, white promoters would frequently rip off Black artists and performers, so Franklin made sure that every penny was there before going out on stage.