Jennifer Hudson Shares Details on Her Role as Aretha Franklin in ‘RESPECT’

In theaters today, Jennifer Hudson debuted her much-anticipated portrayal of the Queen of Soul in the new Aretha Franklin biopic, RESPECT. RESPECT follows the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from the early days of singing in her father’s church, to becoming a household name, to establishing a legacy left for fans to enjoy for years to come. The film’s star-studded cast includes Marlon Wayans, Audra MacDonald, Forest Whitaker, and Mary J. Blige with Liesel Tommy directing.

Jennifer Hudson opened up about her most challenging part about portraying Aretha Franklin, learning to play the piano; “ Honey, I am still doing it to this day and trying to figure it out even more. She had a gift and that is something that cannot be taught. As an actress, I had to learn that element of her and it has been the most unnatural thing to me out of all of this.”

Source: BET