Respect
Academy Award® winner Jennifer Hudson stars as the legendary “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin in Respect. Inspired by the musical legend who helped shape her own career, Ms. Hudson learned to play the piano and performed each of Ms. Franklin’s iconic songs live. As a child, Aretha is a beacon of light in her father’s church choir; as an adult, she overcomes controlling men and inner demons. Empowered by friend and mentor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she becomes a civil rights activist and through a spiritual journey finds her voice. Marking the feature directing debut of Tony Award®-nominated director Liesl Tommy, the movie is executive-produced by Ms. Hudson and dedicated to Ms. Franklin; its Grammy®-nominated original song “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” is by Carole King, Jamie Hartman, and Ms. Hudson. Respect also stars Academy Award® winner Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, and Academy Award® nominee Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington.
Starring: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Mary J. Blige, Kimberly Scott, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Heather Headley, Sky Dakota, Tate Donovan
Directed by: Leisl Tommy
Written by: Tracey Scott Wilson, Callie Khouri
Produced by: Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein, Jonathan Glickman, Stacey Sher, Jennifer Hudson, Liesl Tommy, Sue Baden-Powell, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth
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Q&A: Jennifer Hudson