If Jennifer Hudson Doesn’t Play Aretha, Who Should?

The proliferation of rocker biopics in the last two years has been serious. Poor overwhelmed actors are scrambling to capture the lives of everyone from Janis Joplin, to Brian Jones, to Bob Dylan. And while the jury is still out on whether these projects will be successful, none of the actors starring in these films faced the kind of challenge ahead for the actor (or actors) chosen to play Aretha Franklin. The first lady of…everything related to music is overseeing the adaptation of her biography Aretha: From These Roots to both the stage and big screen. The musical based on Franklin’s life is already underway, with auditions apparently scheduled for May in Detroit. And, according to Access Hollywood, Franklin has already put her sorta stamp of approval on Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson . “Well, I don’t know. I’m not sure,” Franklin reportedly said of the idea. “The producers want to know how I feel about it, about her [Hudson] playing myself. What I’d like to see is three different people playing myself.” We’re not sure there are enough worthy actors in Hollywood to put together another Todd Haynes-style mindfuck of a biopic in which multiple actors playing one character, but what Aretha wants, Aretha gets. (We’d like to see white, soul singing jew Amy Winehouse considered for the part — if Angelina can play Mariane Pearl, Amy W. can do Aretha.) Who else should they consider for the Aretha Franklin film?
	Published: 2007-03-26 Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: General