Jordin Sparks makes acting debut in 'Sparkle'

Jordin Sparks stole her fans’ hearts when she became the youngest winner in American Idol history.

She’s about to do that all over again when she makes her big-screen debut in Sparkle alongside the late Whitney Houston. The musical, which opens August 17, tells the story of an aspiring singer trying to break into the 1968 Motown music business with her sisters. Houston plays the role of Sparks’ mother, a former singer trying to protect her daughters from the music industry.

Sparks discussed what it was like to learn to sing and dance as part of a group. She couldn’t look into the lens, but learned a lot from the set.

She also talked about what it was like to lose her idol.

“I was just crying, I was so devastated,” she said. “I was somebody who had listened to Whitney’s music and tried to emulate her. So to get to work with her in this intimate setting, to do scenes where we were yelling at each other, and then holding hands with her…I just loved her.”

It’s not just her acting chops that have been making headlines, however. Sparks recently showed off her new figure on the cover of Shape magazine wearing a small bikini. She credited a strict fitness regimen and a revamped diet for her dramatic 50-pound weight loss.