Blackfilm.com correspondent Ellen J. Wanjiru talks with Marlon Wayans about his role as Ted White, Aretha Franklin’s first husband, in the music icon’s biopic ‘RESPECT;’ why he wanted to play a damaged character and his on and off screen chemistry with Jennifer Hudson. Watch interview below!
Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice. Hudson, who was personally hand-picked by Franklin to play her in the film, is joined by a stellar cast of stars including Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy-winner Forest Whitaker; Marlon Wayans; Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winner Audra McDonald; Multiple Grammy winning, and Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominee Mary J. Blige; Marc Maron; Grammy and Tony-winner Heather Headley; Tony-winner Kimberly Scott; Emmy-nominee Tituss Burgess; Tony-nominee Saycon Sengbloh; Tony-nominee Hailey Kilgore, Tate Donovan, and Skye Dakota Turner.
DIRECTOR: Liesl Tommy | SCREENPLAY BY: Tracey Scott Wilson | STORY BY: Callie Khouri and Tracey Scott Wilson | PRODUCERS: Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, p.g.a., Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher | EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jennifer Hudson, Liesl Tommy, Sue Baden-Powell, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth
Director Liesl Tommy makes her feature film debut with Respect. Tommy is the first Black woman ever nominated for a Tony award for Best Direction of a Play in 2016 for Eclipsed, and is an Associate Artist at the Berkeley Rep and an Artist Trustee with the Sundance Institute’s Board of Trustees.
Cast & Characters:
- Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin
- Forest Whitaker as C.L. Franklin
- Marlon Wayans as Ted White
- Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin
- Marc Maron as Jerry Wexler
- Tituss Burgess as Reverend Dr. James Cleveland
- Kimberly Scott as Mama Franklin
- Saycon Sengbloh as Erma Franklin
- Hailey Kilgore as Carolyn Franklin
- Heather Headley as Clara Ward
- Skye Dakota Turner as Young Aretha Franklin
- Tate Donovan as John Hammond
- Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington
Marlon Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wayans on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. (1995–1999), and in the comedy films Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), White Chicks (2004), Little Man (2006), and Dance Flick (2009). Wayans had a dramatic role in Darren Aronofsky’s critically acclaimed film Requiem for a Dream (2000), which saw his departure from the usual comedies.
Marlon Wayans explores his greatest fears in his latest comedy special, MARLON WAYANS: YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, debuting THURSDAY, AUGUST 19 on HBO Max.
Loading…