Biopics about black musician are on the rise again!
So it only makes sense many Black Hollywood stars want to take part in the resurgence.
Mekhi Phifer wants to play Al Green in a biopic about the singer and reverend’s life.
“I’ve always been an avid fan of Al Green. I would love to do the Al Green story,” Phifer said. “I think his story is a very intriguing one and when you talk about a character arc… His story is the ultimate character arc to me.”
Phifer wouldn’t mind singing “Love and Happiness” among Green’s many other hits. Although, he isn’t much of a singer, he thinks he has what it takes to croon — with his acting chops!
“I can act like I can sing, the way Angela Bassett acted like she was Tina Turner,” he said. “That’s something that I would love to explore. I love the music. I love the era in which he’s at the height of his career. I would definitely love to do something like the Al Green story.”
Although comedies are popular now, independent black films (specifically dramas) are gaining mainstream success these days.
And biopics about the lives of James Brown, Nina Simone, Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye are soon-to-be-released.
But Phifer acknowledged there’s a ways to go!
“We have a lot of films and stories to be told. Right now, what’s mainstream is more the comedies and more slapstick,” he said. “We’re still missing out on the dramas or real romance films or action films. We’re not really seeing a lot of that…We still haven’t become totally mainstream yet. There’s still a ways to go.”
via EURWeb
