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Halle Berry Still Up for Role in Aretha Franklin Film

The soul singer says the Oscar winner still has a shot as star of biopic.

Though she's made comments that she didn’t think she would be best for the part, it seems Halle Berry is still in contention to star in a film about the life of soul legend Aretha Franklin. Franklin herself confirmed speculation about Berry’s potential participation in the biopic while speaking with Macleans magazine. The Queen of Soul said, "Halle Berry is back in the game," following a recent run-in.

 

Franklin said, "I just saw her at the curtain of Oprah’s farewell event, and she let me know that she still wants to play the role." The Oscar-winning actress previously shared trepidation about playing Aretha given she couldn’t sing. Aretha says that won’t be an issue. She explained, "She didn’t know that she wasn’t expected to sing. I told her, 'No, we never expected you to sing; we already knew you weren’t a singer!' But I do think she could pull it off though."

 

Berry has played lip sync for a role before, for her Emmy-award-winning performance as Dorothy Dandridge in Introducing Dorothy Dandrige. The Aretha movie, which is still in development, will be based on the singer’s 1999 autobiography, Aretha: From the Roots. Other actresses being considered for the role include singers Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson.

(Photo: Michael Caulfield/Getty Images)

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