Three years ago, Dionne Warwick made it clear that when it was time to tell her life story, there was only one person who could pull off the role: Teyana Taylor.
For years now, fans have pointed out the striking resemblance that the “Gonna Love Me” artist shares with the legendary vocalist. Warwick revealed that she had been in communication with the multi-hyphenated talent about portraying her in a biographical series last October. “We’ve been on the phone several times. She’s done her homework. She knows more about me than I know about me,” Warwick, 82, told “Entertainment Tonight.”
Now, it seems as though fan pleas for Taylor to be cast as the icon are fully coming to fruition. In an upcoming episode of “The Tamron Hall Show,” Taylor confirmed that a project is indeed in the works. “We’re already working on it. We’re in the building process right now,” said the 32-year-old in a clip that was exclusively shared with Billboard on Friday (March 31). “I always wanted to make sure I could lock in with any person that I would be playing.”
The Aunties Production founder shared that Oscar-worthy performances from Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles and Angela Bassett as Tina Turner have been sources of inspiration as she prepares for the role. “I miss when movies were like that — when you got to really get to know them and tap in,” noted the rising actress.
Taylor continued, “She’s had a wonderful career, and I think right now is about making her feel as safe as possible to tell her story because a lot of these stories get misconstrued or dramatized to an extent. That’s not really where we want to go.”
Taylor is currently stunning audiences with her first dramatic role in A Thousand and One. In the film, she plays a formerly incarcerated mother named Inez, who kidnaps her 6-year-old son. Her flexing of her acting chops has already earned her acclaim among her peers and calls for her name to be added to next year’s Oscar ballot.
View the related post below.