‘Respect’ star Marlon Wayans talks to WGN Dean Richards about what it was like to meet Aretha Franklin.
Discussion of Wayans performance as Ted White (Aretha Franklin’s first husband) in the biopic has received good reviews from critics who have seen the film. During the interview, Wayans talked about what he did to make sure he landed this role, what people would be surprised to learn about the making of Respect, how damaged people damage people, the way he prepared for the movie, why he wanted to make sure they showed both sides of Ted White, and more.
The cast is star studded with a list including Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, Forest Whitaker as C.K. Franklin, Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin, Tituss Burgess as Dr. James Cleveland, Marc Maron as legendary Atlantic Records music producer Jerry Wexler, Kimberly Scott as Mama Franklin, Saycon Sengblah as Erma Franklin, Hailey Kilgore as Carolyn Franklin, Heather Headley as Clara Ward, Skye Dakota Turner as Young Aretha Franklin, Tate Donovan as John Hammond, and Mary J. Blige as Dina Washington. Respect was written by Tracey Scott Wilson, based on a story by Wilson and Thelma & Louise writer Callie Khouri.
Check out the full interview below.
