Teyana Taylor says she’s begun working on Dionne Warwick project
The singer-actress is slated to portray Warwick in a forthcoming series about the legendary songstress.
Teyana Taylor confirmed that she will be portraying Dionne Warwick in an upcoming project.
The “Gonna Love Me” singer broke the news during a forthcoming interview on “Tamron Hall,” according to Billboard. “We’re already working on it,” Taylor said. “We’re in the building process right now. I always wanted to make sure I could lock in with any person that I would be playing.”
The singer-actress disclosed that she looked to Angela Bassett and Jamie Foxx for inspiration in their respective lead roles in musical biopics “What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993)” and “Ray (2004).”
“I miss when movies were like that, when you got to really get to know them and tap in,” Taylor told Hall.
It’s essential that she treats Warwick’s story with extra care, saying, “I’ve always been a firm believer and stood on safety.”
“She’s had a wonderful career,” Taylor said, “and I think right now is about making her feel as safe as possible to tell her story because a lot of these stories get misconstrued or dramatized to an extent. That’s not really where we want to go.”
Last year during an appearance on “Sherri,” Warwick stated that she and Taylor had begun discussing bringing her story to life on the small screen. “We’ve been on the phone several times,” Warwick said. “She’s done her homework. She knows more about me than I know about me.”
Warwick is one of the most successful and influential American vocalists ever. Teamed up off and on with the recently deceased composer Burt Bacharach, Warwick has had a career that has spanned more than five decades. She released 12 Top 10Â Billboard Hot 100Â singles, including classics like “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and “That’s What Friends Are For.”
Many of Warwick’s songs, including “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Walk On By” and “A House is Not a Home,” became staples. Luther Vandross and Isaac Hayes are among the artists who covered have them.
TheGrio music writer Matthew Allen contributed to this article.
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