However, Scott suggests the Avatar star needs prosthetic nose, darker makeup to play the jazz icon.
Jill Scott thinks Zoe Saldana could be a good choice to play jazz legend Nina Simone...well, almost.
The singer and actress, who stars in the upcoming remake of Steel Magnolias with Queen Latifah, tells HelloBeautiful.com that she believes Saldana could pull of the coveted role with a few minor physical adjustments.
"Zoe is an incredible actress," Scott prefaced, before adding: "I think that there should be some work done, like a prosthetic nose would be helpful and definitely some darker makeup. If Forest Whitaker can become darker in The Last King Of Scotland then I believe Nina should be treated with that respect."
Scott went on, "[Simone] was very adamant about her color, about her nose, about her shape and herself and there needs to be some homage paid to that."
Interestingly, elsewhere in the interview Scott talks about her desire for Black actresses to embrace their natural beauty. "I would love to see a cast of African-American women with their natural hair," she says, adding, "This is who we are, and our hair even has a character in itself."
To hear Academy Award nominee Viola Davis weigh in on who should play Simone — including if she would consider the role herself — watch our exclusive interview in the video below!
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(Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
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