Cynthia Erivo Dishes On Playing Aretha Franklin The Same Time as Jennifer Hudson

As is tradition, the 27th annual SAG Awards began on Sunday night with a number of actors introducing themselves and their professions, along with their favorite titles that got them through the past year. Helen Mirren, Sterling K.

She was nominated for one of these trophies just last year. And on Sunday, actress Cynthia Erivo looked splendid and regal, when she acted as a presenter for the remote 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

READ MORE: What will Lawrence Chaney's digital series be about? When is it out?In 2020, Erivo starred as Holly Gibney in The Outsider, a mystery drama based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. Holly was an eccentric savant investigator who was hired to help with a case that started off with the disappearance of a young boy.

Chris Willman Music WriterThere is even more genius to go around in the story that “Genius: Aretha Franklin” tells than just Aretha’s own. Her classic records wouldn’t have stood the test of more than four and five decades without the chemistry she and her voice formed with the musicians that gave the music its masterful groove.

the Queen of Soul! In celebration of iconic songstress Aretha Franklin, on what would have been her 79th birthday, the two acclaimed actresses portraying her in upcoming biopics are honoring her legacy.Jennifer Hudson took to Instagram on Thursday to show the progress of her mural of Franklin's face, created in spray paint.«Royalty! Sharing the making of My Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul mural in honor of the Queens birthday on today!» wrote Hudson, who portrays Franklin in the upcoming biopic

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorCynthia Erivo knows that simply trying to impersonate Aretha Franklin for her starring role as the Queen of Soul in “Genius: Aretha” just wasn’t going to cut it.

There was no one quite like Aretha Franklin. The powerhouse singer, dubbed the “Queen of Soul,” paved the way for so many artists during her time as a lauded entertainer. Breaking barriers and creating some of the biggest hits in music history, Aretha was a towering force in the Civil Rights movement and beyond. On what would have been the Queen of Soul’s 79th birthday, let’s take a look back at her life in photographs and some of the highlights of her brilliant career.

Aretha Franklin's family is unhappy with the music legend's latest depiction. The "Respect" singer is the subject of the third season of National Geographic's popular anthology series "Genius," which will air two episodes on Tuesday and conclude the season with two more episodes on Wednesday.

is back tonight with two more as the National Geographic anthology series continues to tell the story of Aretha Franklin’s life and career with Cynthia Erivo portraying the music legend.ET has an exclusive clip from episode 3, “Do Right Woman,” in which Franklin is juggling her music career and her commitment to the civil rights movement before audiences get to see her perform “A Change Is Gonna Come.” The song, originally recorded by Sam Cooke in 1964, is a popular civil rights anthem inspired

Aretha Franklin‘s family is not happy with the upcoming NatGeo limited series Genius: Aretha based on the late singer’s life.

Aretha Franklin’s family have spoken out against the new Genius biopic series depicting the star, saying they “do not support” it.The series has been produced by National Geographic and stars Cynthia Erivo as the late soul singer. It premieres in the US today (March 21).Franklin’s granddaughter Grace recently posted on TikTok about the show and her family’s feelings on it.

Gallery: Britney Spears's life in pictures (Espresso) "I got a call a couple of days after from my agent, who said they'd seen the tape and were doing this series and they wanted me to come on board. "The actress briefly met Franklin before she died when the Queen of Soul came to see her perform in The Color Purple on Broadway.

Aretha Franklin, died in 2018, she had already anointed who should immortalize her on screen: Jennifer Hudson, who will star in the biopic “Respect,” due in August.But it’s Tony-winning actress Cynthia Erivo (“The Color Purple”) who first brings Franklin back to life in “Genius: Aretha,” the third installment in the National Geographic anthology series following previous seasons on Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso.

National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha” is set to premiere on Sunday, March 21, featuring Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo as the legendary Queen of Soul.

Angelique Jackson It could be said that Suzan-Lori Parks was destined to tell the story of Aretha Franklin.Not just because the “Genius: Aretha” showrunner is a celebrated playwright who won the MacArthur “Genius” prize, but because the legendary “Queen of Soul” once reached out to Parks asking her to write a stage musical about her life.“I was living in Los Angeles at the time and her people got in touch with my people, and they set up this phone call, where Miss Franklin and I spoke,” Parks