cynthia erivo

  • ‘Genius: Aretha’ Trailer: Watch Cynthia Erivo Fight to Keep Her ‘Queen of Soul’ Crown (Video)

    R-E-S-P-E-C-T for National Geographic, which set the premiere date for “Genius: Aretha” Tuesday and dropped the trailer for the pandemic-delayed season of the anthology, which stars Cynthia Erivo in the title role. In the trailer, which you can view above, Erivo’s Aretha Franklin is crowned the “Queen of Soul” and spends much of the two-minute video trying to maintain hold of that title while others set out to bring her down. Nat Geo revealed Tuesday during its day at the virtual Television Critics Association press tour that “Genius: Aretha,” which has suffered multiple production delays over the last year due to COVID-19, will air as a four-night event series beginning Sunday, March 21, at 9/8c. The eight episodes of the season will air in pairs of two, with all available to stream on Hulu by Thursday, March 25. Also Read: Nat Geo Documentary Films Acquires 'Playing With Sharks' “Genius: Aretha” will explore “Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world,” per Nat Geo. “Franklin was a gospel prodigy, an outspoken civil rights champion and widely considered the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career. ‘Genius: Aretha’ will be the first-ever, definitive and only authorized scripted series on the life of the universally acclaimed Queen of Soul.” The anthology series is executive produced by showrunner Suzan-Lori Parks, Imagine’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Anna Culp, Anthony Hemingway, Clive Davis and Atlantic Records chairman and CEO Craig Kallman, Francie Calfo, Ken Biller, Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane and Sam Sokolow. “Genius: Aretha” hails from 20th Television and Imagine Entertainment, in partnership with Warner Music Entertainment. See below for the list of “Genius: Aretha” episode descriptions and air dates. Also Read: Here Are the Premiere Dates for Broadcast TV's New and Returning Midseason Shows (Updating) RESPECT Sunday, March 21 at 9/8c Desperate for a hit, Aretha travels to Muscle Shoals in 1967 to record her first album with Atlantic Records. After suffering the loss of her surrogate mother, Little Re braves her first solo in 1953, in her father’s, C.L. Franklin, church. UNTIL THE REAL THING COMES ALONG Sunday, March 21 at 10/9c Struggling to find her sound, Aretha catches the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1966. Meanwhile, Little Re has her first touring experience on the Gospel Circuit in 1954 with C.L. Franklin and meets her idol, Clara Ward. DO RIGHT WOMAN Monday, March 22 at 9/8c Aretha juggles her music career and her commitment to the civil rights movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., in 1967 and 1968. Meanwhile, Little Re leaves behind her newborn child to return to the Gospel Circuit in 1955, meeting with music legends James Cleveland and Little Sammie Bryant. UNFORGETTABLE Monday, March 22 at 10/9c Aretha is featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1968, but she’s devastated when the article focuses on the scandalous details of her personal life. Barbara Franklin and Young C.L. Franklin struggle to establish themselves in Memphis in 1941, before Little Re is born. YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK Tuesday, March 23 at 9/8c Aretha, inspired by Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers, records her protest album “Young, Gifted and Black” in 1970. Despite Jerry Wexler’s uncertainty, the album is a success. Barbara Franklin makes a decision that has a devastating effect on Little Re in 1951. Also Read: Winter TV 2021: All the Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows - So Far (Photos) AMAZING GRACE Tuesday, March 23 at 10/9c Aretha records her best-selling live Gospel album “Amazing Grace” in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, ignoring her sibling’s pleas to record instead at New Bethel with their father, C.L. Franklin. Little Re discovers that she’s pregnant with her second child, forcing her to leave school. While pregnant, she records her first album at New Bethel in 1956. CHAIN OF FOOLS Wednesday, March 24 at 9/8c As the Queen of Soul enters the age of disco, Aretha will do anything to remain relevant — including stealing an opportunity from her sister Carolyn. She receives a GRAMMY nomination but is ultimately snubbed from winning the award. While at the ceremony, she meets with Arista founder Clive Davis. Meanwhile, Jerry Wexler leaves Atlantic Records, and he and Aretha part ways. NO ONE SLEEPS Wednesday, March 24 at 10/9c Despite significant emotional losses, including a second divorce and the death of her father in 1984, Aretha pushes herself artistically and triumphs. She begins a successful career at Arista, with the help of Clive Davis, and in an unforgettable GRAMMY performance in 1998, she solidifies her eternal reign as the Queen of Soul. Read original story ‘Genius: Aretha’ Trailer: Watch Cynthia Erivo Fight to Keep Her ‘Queen of Soul’ Crown (Video) At TheWrap

  • From 'Gone With the Wind' to 'Bachelor', Hollywood is moving to address claims of racism

    After 18 years, “The Bachelor” finally has its first black male lead — as protests over the death of George Floyd continue to rage across the nation.

  • Kasi Lemmons on black representation in Hollywood and the 'shocking' story of a studio exec who wanted Julia Roberts to play Harriet Tubman

    "Harriet" director talks new Netflix series "They've Gotta Have Us" and the contributions of African Americans to Hollywood.

  • Academy Awards Barely Escape a Reprise of #OscarsSoWhite

    Until Issa Rae and John Cho announced "Harriet" star Cynthia Erivo as a nominee for best actress for the 92nd Academy Awards, it was looking increasingly likely that the Oscars were heading for a repeat of the OscarsSoWhite controversy that drove the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences four years ago to aggressively begin […]

  • Cynthia Erivo Won't Perform at BAFTAs After All-White Acting Nominees: I'm Not a 'Party Trick'

    Cynthia Erivo Won't Perform at BAFTAs After All-White Acting Nominees

  • See the first look of Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin on Genius

    Genius: See first look of Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin

  • 'Harriet': Cynthio Erivo's Harriet Tubman gets 'initiated' by abolitionists in exclusive clip

    William Stills (Leslie Odom Jr.) introduces Harriet Tubman (Cynthia Erivo) to a secret society of Underground Railroad officers in an exclusive clip from "Harriet."

  • Cynthia Erivo has found the next historical figure for her to play: Aretha Franklin on Genius

    Cynthia Erivo will lead Nat Geo's 'Genius: Aretha'

  • From 'Judy' and 'Joker' to J. Lo and Jamie Foxx: 13 early Oscar contenders to emerge out of festivals in Toronto, Telluride and Venice

    The trifecta of high-profile film festivals in Venice, Telluride and Toronto have kicked the 2020 Oscar race into full gear. Here are the movies and performances that could be on the fast track to the Academy Awards.

  • 'Harriet' director, cast talk about finally giving Underground Railroad hero Harriet Tubman the Hollywood treatment

    "Harriet" director Kasi Lemmons and stars Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn and Jennifer Nettles talk about their new Harriet Tubman biopic — and why it took so long.

  • Some plan to #BoycottHarriet after biopic trailer starring Cynthia Erivo is released: 'She openly mocks our culture'

    The trailer for Harriet Tubman's biopic was released on Tuesday. But not without some controversy surrounding the choice to cast British actress Cynthia Erivo as the American abolitionist.

  • History Comes Alive! See Cynthia Erivo as Abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Harriet First Look

    Cynthia Erivo Becomes Harriet Tubman in Harriet First Look

  • Viola Davis and her 'Widows' co-stars break down the film's twisty ending (spoilers!)

    The actresses discuss their own interpretations of the film's ambiguous ending.

  • Viola Davis on why 'Widows' was so 'liberating': She wasn't expected to lose weight to be 'va-va-voom'

    Davis and her female co-stars praise the film for daring to treat women like real people, not "va-va-va-voom."

  • Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Ruth Negga, and Others Attend Alfre Woodard’s Annual ‘Oscar’s Sistahs Soiree’

    For eight years legendary stage and film actress Alfre Woodard has hosted her annual ‘Oscar’s Sistahs Soiree,” a star-studded event held the week before the Oscars that honors and celebrates “African American and Latina [women] who have been nominated for the Oscar in the acting category, and, we say in a perfect world, those who should have been,” Woodard told Variety. The 22 attendees this year, which included Best Supporting Actress nominee Viola Davis, Tracee Ellis Ross, Cynthia Erivo, Rosario Dawson, Aja Naomi King, and Best Actress nominee Ruth Negga, spent quality sister time at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel. Scroll through our gallery to see some of the fashionable and chic attendees. And best of luck to all of the nominees!

  • Celebrity Marathon Runners Putting Themselves to the Test

    Running can be addictive. Training for long-distance races (half-marathons, marathons, ultra-marathons) can be all-consuming, exhausting, and demoralizing — and at the same entirely invigorating. Not surprisingly, plenty of celebrities have been bit by the racing bug. Whether they participate in runs for health reasons, for the joy of it, or for charity, they all know you have to commit to train and ultimately finish a race.

  • ‘Color Purple’ Star Cynthia Erivo Arm Wrestles Trevor Noah

    Cynthia Erivo is having a good month. As Trevor Noah was complimenting her on her physique he mentioned that she must be a really good arm wrestler. This resulted in the host arm wrestling the actress to close the show.