Aretha Franklin confirmed that actress Halle Berry has been selected to portray her in an upcoming biopic about her life. The legendary singer broke the news during an on-air interview with The Wendy Williams Show on Wednesday (January 12).
“For the last four years we’ve been talking about that (biopic) and I have had a number of offers but unfortunately they were not good offers,” Franklin told Williams. “Now, we have something on the table — all of the financing on one project. And the second project is in the process (writing things for me to approve) on the telefilm.”
Probed for an answer as to what actress will be portraying her, Franklin told Williams “Halle Berry is….,” going on to say a younger actress (presumably to portray her childhood/teenage years) “has yet to be named”.
Stating that her health was “superb” she also spoke on her love for R. Kelly and more. Check out the full interview with Aretha & Wendy below.
Really aretha i thinkshe wouldve been betta sendin out a talent search for someone to play her rather then choosing halle berry
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Obviously the cancer has spread to Ms. Franklin’s brain, because she must be out of her mind if she think Halle Berry looks anything like her… I know that often the actors don’t look like the the stars they portray in biopics, but they usually have some resemblance. But in this case, there is no comparing the two. I cant even imagine how this is going to work
hahahahaha! I was thinking the same thing! hahahaha! But without the cancer. She is doing like a lot of our black comedies show where the person is talking about themselves and saying they look just like a certain star who is way better looking than themselves!
Maybe Sherri Sheppard would be a better choice ……………
This is just as bad as Lil Kim thinking Christina Milian should have played her in the Biggie movie…smdh!! Aretha, I don’t know what you see when you look in the mirror but sweetie, Halle Berry isnt the face staring back at you.
i think it’s an ego thing…Jhud was the people’s choice but she doesn’t want her taking her “shine.” this is about as wrong as Kerry Washington playing Malcolm X…just wrong!
Excuse me but if you guys looked back in the day when Aretha Franklin was young she was a beautiful woman. She still is a beautiful woman.
You go look. Arethat was never a ‘skinny’ woman. She was always think. I mean not as big as she is now, but never like Halle Berry
*dead*
Ummmmm ……
Ummmm, now , I know physical appearance or “looks” doesn’t always matter most when it comes to acting in biopics and such because ya’ll know Larry Fishburne looks nothing like Ike Turner but he did a wonderful job at portraying him, BUT I’m still saying “come on, son” over this Halle Berry, Halle Berry pick. I suppose if that is what the Queen wants, then that is what the Queen gets, but the Queen must also understand that I don’t have to pay to go see that ish either…..especially if it’s not good…shoot. Yep, I’m just gonna give Queen Aretha a “I dunno, child” and keep it moving.
Lawd! Aretha don’ got dementia, alzheimer’s or something ya’ll because this is crazy. Halle Berry as the adult Aretha? Really? Who gon’ play the kid version of her? Willow Smith? Is she gon’ call up Ruby Dee to play her in her “old age” too? SMH!
That is Hilarious…and true!
I think maybe the inbetween years from Willow & Halle maybe…Antione Dobson…cause his hair is on point with the Queen and he is well a queen too! I’m just sayin…:)
She think she looks like Halle when she was younger… “NOT” that lady lost some of her brain cells. But Halle can pull it off or more like “on”. She was thick when she was younger.
LOL @ Black Princess ! ! ! I agree with you all ! ! !
Really Retha??? Like really? Halle? I don’t get it. This has to be a joke. I don’t believe you CL….you need more ppl.
In Dave Chappelle’s scripted biopic of his self he gave hiself a 12inch penis & was married to Oprah…I say this to say I would portray some bullshit too…
SMDH – I’m with D-N-HTOWN!! REALLY. Come on’ ReRe…..Halle??? Ditto to Jordan, JHud was the people’s choice….
I don’t even think J-Hud can act, but she would def had did this role justice. I mean Halle did a phenomenal job as Dorothy….but this ish right … its a no go.
J hud would be better because she is a singer. I still do not believe Halle is going be playing her, I love Aretha but I honestly think she is in LaLa land she needs to accept her illness and try to get better.
Ughh….Jennifer Hudson should have definitely played this role…but I guess if Queen Aretha wants Halle then thats who she gets lol….BUT I DONT HAVE TO SPEND MY MONEY TO SEE IT!
J-Hud would have definitely done this role justice. Halle is a terrible choice in my opinion!
I really wanted to see Jennifer Hudson in this role, because she captures the sass and diva of Aretha Franklin. Aretha was smoking that serious GREEN when she even thougt about mentioning Halle Berry’s name lol.
Aretha needs to stop playin and sit down somewhere lol. Jennifer Hudson is the only one I can see doing this role justice (sasiness, divatude, and voice)! What in the world is she thinking? Halle Berry?! LMAO at the thought!
Damn, delusion is no joke.
She doesn’t even realize how crazy she sounds when she says that. She obviously really believes she looked like Halle in her younger years.
I agree with STLOPINION, they should have auditioned for a no-name actress instead and used well-known actors as the supporting cast.
If this is true (which I’m not convinced of), this is gonna be crazy. And Halle would also look crazy for accepting the role.
uncanny resemblance
Yeah, they could have had a nationwide talent search, give some undiscovered talent a chance to make a name for themselves like Jennifer Hudson. They always wanna go with some big name in Hollywood to make the film royalty, but they don’t always get the job done. Well, Halle’s career has been in limbo for the past couple of years, so I guess it all works out perfectly.
Agreed, a new face would have been great too, but IM NOT AT AT RETHA FOR CHOOSING HALLE, by the ned of the day, retha has the last word!
Yall bitches say Jen Hudson cuz she is fat? Cuz I dont see no damn ressemblance either and for the singin part, no one can sing like aretha in her prime so they gonna use her own audio so it doesnt matter at this point, the actress doenst have to sing; stop with J-Hud, she aint a fat girl anymore! Im not mad at aretha, why wouldnt she choose one A list, one of the most beautiful black women in the world, plus, ‘best actress’ academy award winner? hey! do yall see retha in her prime? her body was killin it and she was very light skinned! face doesnt matter! go retha!
THE WORST! HALLE IS DEAD WRONG FOR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT SICK WOMAN!
Ashanti should have gotten tht role to play her she is trippin
Fantasia would murder this role! HANDS DOWN!!
halle does favor her when she was in her twenties look up some old pics she is not being delusional they had been tryin to find someone else
Damn, the demensia & cancer spreading to her brain comments are rude as hel!. What, is it all children that comment on this site, yall are nuts. There have been many movies made where the actor who was chosen to play a role like that ddint look anything like the actual person does. Sometimes I’ve even seen the actor be a totally different complexion. Halle is an excellent actress who takes her work seriously and I think that she is gonna do great. When hair and makeup are done, I bet there wont be such a huge difference in looks then. Like well all know its Halle & no she wont look just like Aretha but it will not be so bad and farfetched as everyone is proclaiming it to be.
Sorry Aretha, i love you but Halle is reaching, not because she is not a good actress i just feel like someone with a stronger personality to play you..jennifer hudson, hell even Latifah, how the hell is that little women gonna play the parts whee you gorging yourself with food and passing out in recording studios. She has always been delusional form the outfits she wears.
hmm so i looked up some pics of Ms Aretha in her younger days and she doesnt really favor Halle Berry…they have about the same complexion but thats it
Aretha wants a great actress to play her. Halle Berry is that. She might not want any of these young singers tied to her lagacy. I still recall how Beyonce played Etta James in Cadillac Records and then went on to sing “At Last” for the President. Mind you, Etta James is still alive. Aretha is wise to avoid that trap.
@ Travis…What are you smoking? Fantasia is full of ghetto tattoo’s and looks a HOT MESS, and nobody wants to see a hoodrat on the big screen screechin and hollerin. It’s Jennifer Hudson for me!
Halle will have to gain at least a 100 pounds to be authentic in that role. Eve J-Hud wouldn’t want to put that much weight back on to play Areatha.
***now all the women I mention is this comment are beautiful.
Okay, Aretha lets be serious. Please be true to the role of yourself as a young woman. Beyonce playing Etta, yes; Jennifer Lopez playing Selena, yes; Naturi playing lil kim, yes; heck Halle playing Dorothy Dandridge. Yes Aretha was and is a beauiful woman. But so if Jennifer Hudson, Toccara, Jasmine Sullivan, Queen Latifah, a student at a theatre arts school,ect. Keep in mind it’s not only about light complexion but also her signature big bosoms. I just not buying Halle being a believable Aretha and someone needs to convince her to think about her target audience to market this project and make the money and viewers it deserves.
My personal opinion, colorstruck at it’s finest.
That’s my two cents.
@ Dallas Champ 214
Halle Berry’s acting sucks in my opinion lol…All she did was have sex with Billy Bob Thorton, and she knew she had that Oscar in the bag (the movie actually sucked)! She’s just a pretty face in Hollywood…Angela Bassett is miles and miles better than she will ever be!! With this being said, from what I’ve seen of Jennifer Hudson, I think she could have really done this role a great deal of justice!
If u read the first chapter of the book “The Power of the Actor” By Ivana Chubbuck, u will see that Halle put a lot of work into the role that won her that Oscar.
I 100% agree! Halle can’t act her way out of a paper bag. She’s a beautiful woman, but best actress. NO! I have been saying this for years. So Aretha has selected someone who looks nothing like her, who isn’t known to sing a lick (which Aretha’s deemed the best singer ever) and who can’t act…Yes, perfect choice.
Halle could pull it off see: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and Why do Fools Fall in Love, she plays two singers very well she doesnt need to be able to sing, Aretha wants to use her own voice not someone else’s anyway
Hmmmmmm. I’m just gonna say that I feel J Hud would have been a much better choice.
I remember back in the day everytime someone wanted to be done in a movie ..they wanted Halle to play the part.
Just because she’s pretty.
I think in this case Aretha wants the chance to have her portrayal go up for an Oscar or something.
Either that or she has a Halle fetish.
I think J Hudson would’ve been a great choice.
Maybe even J Sullivan …
Or better yet ..
Jill Scott …
LOL, wtf? Okay, I’m past that whole Halle looks nothing like Aretha, not even in her younger years issue, but Halle CANNOT ACT! Her acting is atrocious. I hate watching movies where you can tell the actor/actress is acting. I agree that Halle only became big when she f**ked that white man in a movie. How disgusting and shameful? I wonder what her daughter will think of her when she gets older and find sout. Aretha should’ve got someone who was an aspiring actress.
True, Lawrence Fishburne did a fantastic job playing Ike Turner, had all his mannerisms and speech down pat, and so did Angela Bassett as Tina, but Halle as Aretha….come on, really?!?!? Maybe JHud when she was heavier cause she can at least sing for real. Even when RiRi (Aretha is the original RiRi, not Rihanna ya’ll), when she was younger, Halle still couldn’t play her, but I aint mad. If I had to be immortalized on film for everyone to see my life story forever I’d want somebody fab like Halle to play me too..ok!
Halle Berry, Really? Woooow….!
Halle Berry can go sit down!! Damn I mean was she first choice for Precious too? Just because she’s a popular black actress does not mean she need to play every black role!!!!!! But I guess Beyonce was prob their 2nd choice if Halle said no. They need to get someone unknown to play Aretha and have the rest be an all star cast. People so afraid of a flop, just be proud of yourself for doing your best.
Only reason why Aretha didn’t choose Beyonce is b/c she is still salty about Beyonce and that whole Tina Turner being the Queen comment at the Grammys a few years ago.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLE BERRY CAN NOT ACT, SHE HAS NO SKILLS, THIS IS CRAZY, I WILL NOT SEE THIS ONE, HALLE NEVER COULD ACT, FORGET ABOUT LOOKS, SHE DON’T HAVE THOSE EITHER. DANZEL WASHINGTON RUN FOR YOU LIFE, THIS CRAZY B…..CH IS TRYING TO GET CLOSE TO YOU. PAULETTA WATCH HER.
Wow really? I think Jazmine Sullivan would be perfect. Especially when i look at Aretha Franklins younger photos.