*The Queen of Hip Hop soul landed a huge gig to play the role of the wife of Malcolm X.
She’ll portray Dr. Betty Shabazz in the upcoming TV film, “Parallel Lives,” which captures the lives of Shabazz and Coretta Scott King and the relationship they shared as the wives of two slain civil rights icons.
The singer is serious about her developing job in drama and told the press that she’s studying Mrs. Shabazz.
Beginning her acting career in Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” Blige has grown significantly on screen. Since deciding to become competitive in the drama industry, she’s taken acting lessons, and has equipped herself with an acting coach, piano coach, and dialect coach.
In a recent interview with Chelsea Handler, Blige spoke on putting the work in to grow as an actress.
“Even though I was given the part in ‘Rock of Ages,’ I wanted to prepare myself so I went to work for it,” said Blige. “I just didn’t want to get the part because I was Mary J. Blige. I went and did the work, I got an acting coach.”
In addition to “Parallel Lives” which will begin filming in September, Mary J. Blige is also scheduled to play jazz and blues legend Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic.
Go Mary! Those are two tough rolls! I hope she can pull them off.
Does the Betty Shabazz role mean she’ll be getting rid of the shit-colored hair?
Or she’ll be wearing a DIFFERENT wig.
I like Mary but I’m a little grey shaded on this role for her. I think this role should have went to a seasoned actress. JMO
I sooooooooooooooo agree with you. When I read this, I thought, “WHAT were they thinking?”
I agree with Diva and Grace. Have no idea what they were thinking.
SMH. With dearth of roles that are available for black actresses, they find Mary J. Blige??? I’m still hot that she’s playing the great Nina Simone. Horrible. And please, I don’t want to ‘give her a chance’. Tired of singers who think they can act and actors who think they can sing/rap. Ugh! Not everybody is a ‘master of all’ trades.
I’m in agreement with those who feel the role should go to a more skillfully trained actress. So who is playing Coretta Scott King?
Ahhhh come on everybody!!! Why so negative. Who’s to say that other actresses wanted those roles. I’m sure they had a chance.