Elise Neal To Play Gladys Knight In Aaliyah BiopicPosted by Wilson Morales
September 11, 2014
Actress Elise Neal will be playing singer and seven-time Grammy Award-winner Gladys Knight in the Lifetime TV biopic of singer Aaliyah in “Aaliyah: Princess of R&B.”
In an article reported by Complex, Knight is Aaliyah’s aunt through her marriage to Aaliyah’s uncle, Barry Hankerson. Knight and Hankerson married five years before Aaliyah was born in 1974. Hankerson played a major role in Aaliyah’s success as he managed her throughout her career. Knight also helped Aaliyah rise to prominence by allowing the young singer to perform with her during a five-night stint in Las Vegas when Aaliyah was just 11-years-old.
In speaking with People Magazine in 2002, Knight said that her niece was “brought up in the old school. She was a sweet, sweet girl. She would walk into a room, and you would feel her light. She’d hug everyone, and she meant it.”
Known for her role as Yvonne Hughley in the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys, Neal has been featured in numerous films and TV projects including John Singleton’s Rosewood, Hustle & Flow, and the TV series K-Ville. Among her episodic work included roles on Scandal and Real Husbands of Hollywood.
Starring Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp in the title role, the film also includes Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith as producer-rappers Missy Elliott and Timbaland, respectively. Aaliyah worked with the both of them on her second album, “One In A Million,” which sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and more than eight million copies worldwide.
The film is being produced by Aaliyah Productions Inc., with Howard Braunstein(The Informant!) Debra Martin Chase (The Princess Diaries), and daytime talk show host Wendy Williams serving as executive producers. Casting the film is Tracy “Twinkie” Byrd. Bradley Walsh (Turn the Beat Around) will direct from a script written by Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar).
Also cast in the film are Rachael Crawford and Sterling Jarvis as Aaliyah’s parents Diane and Michael Haughton, Lyriq Bent will portray her uncle Barry Hankerson, Izaak Smith as Timberland, and Anthony Grant as Damon Dash. A.J. Saudin and Jesse Sukunda will play the older and younger version of Aaliyah’s brother Rashad, respectively.This film will be based off of Christopher Farley‘s best-selling biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman.
Before Beyonce and before Rihanna, self-proclaimed “street but sweet” Aaliyah was poised to become a global icon with top-selling albums, a hot movie career and an adoring fan base. But behind the spotlight, Brooklyn-born, Detroit-raised Aaliyah Dana Haughton struggled to succeed in a tough business while staying grounded in the midst of her growing celebrity. The film follows the beautiful and talented performer’s inspirational journey, from her debut on “Star Search” at the age of ten to the challenges she faced during her rise to become the Princess of R&B. On August 25, 2001, at the height of her popularity, her life was tragically cut short when a plane carrying the singer and some of her video crew crashed after takeoff from a Bahamian runway. Although just 22-years-old at the time of her death, Aaliyah continues to lead a legacy as Billboard’s tenth most famous R&B artist of the past 25 years and one of the recording industry’s most successful artists in history.
Watch Mary J Blige and Glady Knight react to Aaliyah’s death
