biopic Archives - Rolling Out

Rolling out’s “Star Studio” sat down with actress, writer, social activist and entrepreneur Ciera Payton, who effortlessly brought to life the boisterous, larger-than-life, shock jock Wendy Williams. Payton does a phenomenal job as Williams’ in Lifetime’s biopic “Wendy Williams: The Movie” and she talks about the highs and lows of portraying the complex and tumultuous talk…

Rolling out sat down with the leading ladies of Lifetime‘s biopic “Salt-N-Pepa” to learn how they brought to life the iconic, Grammy Award-winning, first ladies of hip-hop. Actress Laila Odom talked about what it was like for her to be cast as Pepa over Egypt Criss, the real Pepa’s (Sandra Denton) daughter. GG Townson, who…

The morning after iconic DJ Spinderella ripped into former bandmates for leaving her out of the Lifetime channel’s premiere of the “Salt-N-Pepa” biopic, social media members joined the chorus of disenchantment with the duo. The animus between Spinderella and Salt-N-Pepa was exacerbated when the pioneering female spinmaster was pretty much omitted from the biopic. One…

With her new Lifetime biopic, “Wendy Williams: The Movie,” talk show maven Wendy Williams has turned her personal tragedies into an opportunity to entertain and laugh all the way to the bank. In the movie, which premieres Saturday, Jan. 30, she gives viewers the tea they’ve been waiting for about her drug abuse, cheating, abortions,…

Barack Obama has given Drake the greenlight to play him in a biopic. The former U.S. President revealed that he would be happy for the rapper to portray him on screen as he is a “talented brother” and is able “to do anything he wants.” Obama said: “I will say this: Drake seems to be…

Queen Latifah and Jamie Foxx are to produce a new film about gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. The 50-year-old rapper is attached to work on Mahalia! — in which Jill Scott will play the titular character — with business partner Shakim Compere and Holly Carter also serving as producers. The pair had previously collaborated on a…

Jamie Foxx wants Mike Tyson’s kids to believe he is their dad with his portrayal of the legendary boxer in a new biopic. The Oscar-winning actor is to play the former heavyweight champion in an upcoming biopic and has joked that he wants his portrayal to be so convincing that even Tyson’s kids can’t tell…

A Whitney Houston biopic is moving forward with the support of “many of the key people” who knew her “best.” A Clive Davis-produced project has long been talked about, and the film now has a title “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Screenwriter Anthony McCarten, who will pen the script for the production, has vowed to “authentically” tell…

The legendary Clark Sisters have been making music their entire lives, and they currently reign supreme as the highest-selling female gospel group in history. Credited with bringing gospel music to the world, the Clark Sisters brought us such hits as “You Brought the Sunshine,” “Is My Living In Vain,” “Blessed and Highly Favored,” “Victory,” and…

Richard Williams changed the course of sports history with his directed parenting of his two youngest children, Venus and Serena, for the sole purpose of turning them into tennis stars. Williams’ much-documented and dissected backstory for producing two legendary tennis players, beginning on the hard courts of gang-torn Compton, Calif., will be adapted to the…

Fans are hardly surprised by any of Kanye West’s public pronouncements these days, especially after he swore his allegiance to MAGA and publicly rejected rap music in favor of religious tunes. But pop culture is still taken aback after learning Kanye actually wants a White actor to play him in a biopic in the near…

Kelly Rowland wants to make and star in a biopic about Donna Summer. The former Destiny’s Child singer is a huge fan of the late disco legend and has long wanted to portray her on the big screen. She previously put herself forward to play Summer — who died from lung cancer in May 2012…

Ryan Destiny will star as champion boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in a new film. Destiny will portray the world and two-time Olympic champion in a new biopic for Universal entitled Flint Strong. The script is based on the 2015 boxing documentary “T-Rex” by Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper. In the documentary, Shields is a 17-year-old from…

Gabrielle Union has teamed up with Ciara to turn an NFL star’s life story into a film. The 46-year-old actress and her husband, basketball star Dwyane Wade, have joined forces the “Level Up” hitmaker and her husband, American football player Russell Wilson, to produce a movie based on NFL star Vernon Turner’s self-published book The Next…

Wendy Williams is bringing her story to Lifetime Network. The daytime talk show host will tell her story in not one, but two projects for the woman-centered network — a documentary and a biopic. Produced by Will Packer, the biopic will focus on Williams’ rise to talk show fame after beginning as a local urban…

Warner Bro. Pictures has acquired the rights to produce a new biopic for the late R&B icon Teddy Pendergrass. Tyrese Gibson will star as singer, songwriter in a new biopic. The 40-year-old singer-and-actor will portray the late R&B icon in an upcoming film, for which Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the rights. The Baby Boy star will also…

Janelle Monáe has been cast as Dorothy Pitman Hughes in the forthcoming Gloria Steinem biopic. The 33-year-old actress and singer joins Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander, who both portray the titular women’s rights activist at various stages in her life, for the adaptation of the late protestor’s 2015 feminist memoir, My Life on the Road. The…

This great actress has been added to the cast of the Harriet Tubman biopic. Singer Janelle Monae is set to star alongside the likes of Leslie Odom Jr, Joe Alwyn, Jennifer Nettles, Clarke Peters, and Vanessa Bell Calloway in Harriet, which will tell the story of the American abolitionist. The upcoming movie (which is being…

Life has been a blinding whirlwind for do-it-all talent Demetria McKinney. While her thriving music career has kept her busier than a certain president’s tweet calendar, her work as an actress is equally as impressive. Her latest accomplishment in that area has certainly piqued the interest of many, as she’s set to portray the iconic…

Xscape kicked off their reunion tour in Detroit on July 3 and 4 at Chene Park Amphitheater. Rolling out was on the scene to get their exclusive interview. Check out what they said about being back on stage and who they would like to play them in their biopic.