Teyana Taylor is not taking her forthcoming role portraying Dionne Warwick on the silver screen lightly.
As previously announced, Teyana will play the legendary singer in a biopic that just recently received the green light.
AD LOADING...
In an interview with Vibe published on Monday (February 26), Warwick praised the Harlem native for the research she’s been doing to prepare ahead of filming.
“She has done research out the yang yang,” Warwick said. “I mean, she knows me better than I know myself now.”
AD LOADING...
As far as what the film will entail, the singer says it will be a “little bit of both” her 2021 documentary and her memoir My Life, As I See It.
“It’ll tell us some of the escapades that I have been on, and the results of it,” she added. “So it’s going to be quite interesting.”
AD LOADING...
Upon the film getting greenlit last month, Teyana praised the iconic “Heartbreaker” singer and thanked her hardworking team for their dedication.
“And just like that.. 2020MORE Blessings!” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Ms. Dionne Warwick… A woman of great statue, poise and elegance, with a fiery spirit — Realizing I was looking at my future self. My reflection without a mirror.”
AD LOADING...
She continued: “Being able to learn and study from one of the greats like, @therealdionnew has allowed me to learn a lot about myself and the woman I am today. She has taught us to be proud of who you are…. —Don’t Make Me Over. @therealdionnew Your music and social involvement has enhanced the culture. Your soul and artistry serves as an example of not only resilience and strength, but of faith and purpose.”
“Thank you for trusting me, @coco_gilbert And our production company @theauntiesinc with telling your iconic story! We are so excited to make you proud!” she concluded. “Shout out to @iamdamonelliott it’s GO TIMEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! It’s been a long time coming!!!”
AD LOADING...
Teyana Taylor first revealed that she’d been cast in the lead role of Dionne Warwick in the biopic nearly a year ago.
During an interview with The Tamron Hall Show, the Harlem native spoke about Warwick handpicking her for the role.
“We’re already working on it,” Teyana Taylor confirmed. “We’re in the building process right now. I’ve always wanted to make sure like, I could lock in with any person that I would be playing, you know? How Angela and Tina [Turner] was, how Jamie Foxx and Ray Charles, you know what I’m saying? Like, to really get to know them and I miss when movies was like that, when you get to know them and tap in and just bond.”
She continued: “We talk almost every day. That’s my girl. Me, her, and her son. I mean, I’ve always been a firm believer in just always standing on safety. She’s had a wonderful career, you know, and I think right now it’s about making her feel as safe as possible so she can tell her story. A lot of these stories get misconstrued or extremely dramatized to an extent and that’s not where we want to go.”
AD LOADING...
Teyana Taylor is no stranger to the big screen. Over the years, she’s garnered roles in movies including 2011’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, 2018’s Honey: Rise Up And Dance, 2021’s Coming To America 2 and most recently, the critically-acclaimed A Thousand and One.
