The Whitney Houston-Bobby Brown Lifetime Original Movie has found a director and a storyline all it needs now is a Whitney. With a range of talented, beautiful African-American actresses, finding a person to fill the shoes of the singer is going to be a challenge.
It was announced today that Angela Bassett will be directing the TV movie about the intense and toxic relationship between Brown and Houston.
The two singers were married from 1992 and 2007. Their marriage was riddled with domestic disputes, drug problems and violence. The two have a daughter together.
Houston died in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 11, 2012, sparking the discussion of a biopic. While it was originally going to be simply about Houston, they then developed it into a story of the relationship between Brown and Houston.
Because the film is being made, here are ten strong females that could pull off being Whitney in the film. If your choice didn’t make the list or if you agree, comment below.
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10. Monique Coleman
Monique Coleman is relatively unknown, which would be great for this role. She has had minor roles on Sweet Life of Zack and Cody and was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Coleman’s most well known role is Taylor McKessie in the High School Musical trilogy that also starred Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron.
She may not make a good Whitney because she is known for her Disney roles. It will be hard to imagine someone who sang “We’re All in This Together” pulling off a drug addicted, complicated, real life character.
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9. Rihanna
Rihanna has said that she is a big Whitney Houston fan and that Whitney is one of her inspirations in music. Rihanna, who was discovered at a young age, has the pipes to play the musical legend but her acting skills are questionable. Rihanna starred in the film Battleship and that big blockbuster received negative reviews.
Rihanna, unlike most of the actresses on the list, has real life experiences to pull from. It is no secret that Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s relationship was toxic. Rihanna and Chris Brown’s relationship was also incredibly unhealthy. Both Whitney and Rihanna had trouble quitting those men even though they were negative influences on their life.
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8. Janelle Monae
Monae, like Coleman, would be a great choice because her face isn’t as recognizable. As we learned in Lindsey Lohan’s Liz and Dick, sometimes a well known actress can just look like she’s in a costume rather than become the part.
Monae isn’t a trained actress and hasn’t appeared in any films that aren’t animated. While she has a strong voice and a nice face, such a big role should be given to someone who can pull it off.
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7. Solange Knowles
Beyonce’s sister would be a great choice for Whitney. She can sing and she can act. She’s already got the hair for it. The only negative would be that people would constantly compare her to her sister. It would distract from the film. Solange would have to not only pull off Whitney but she would also have to do a good enough job that people wouldn’t say, “Beyonce would have been better.”
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6. Paula Patton
She has appeared in About Last Night and 2 Guns, proving her acting chops. She was married to Robin Thicke and he is still trying to get her back, understanding Whitney’s man troubles. Paula looks like Whitney and could slip into the role very easily.
The only negative is that she doesn’t have a past in singing. She hasn’t been in a musical or released an album. She has no connection to Whitney so it might be hard to understand her and play her in an honest fashion.
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5. Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys has one of the best voices of all of the ladies on the list. Plus, she proved that she is a great actress in the film The Secret Life of Bees. Keys also has a son so understands having a musical career and children just like Whitney had. While Alicia’s acting record isn’t as long as some of the women on the list, she has been in Whitney’s shoes. Both are strong women who have won Grammy awards.
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4. Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland was one of the underrated members of Destiny’s Child, but she has a strong voice. She even covered a Whitney song with Stevie Wonder and blew it out of the water. There is a little problem; Rowland isn’t an actress and it is a movie before a musical. She will also have a hard time playing Whitney throughout her life because her face doesn’t look old enough or young enough. She’s in the middle awkward age that will be hard to fit in the movie.
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3. Brady
Brandy was in the film Cinderella with Whitney Houston. She understands how the woman works and can pull from personal experiences. She can sing and act. However, there are two major problems. Since it is a story about Houston’s life and Brandy was a part of it, it may ruin the allusion if they have to discuss the Cinderella film. Also, Brandy doesn’t look like Whitney and that may be a major issue.
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2. Jennifer Hudson
Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson would be an excellent choice for Whitney. They both have insane pipes. They have both been in movie musicals. Hudson has had a rough life and she can pull from that to play the complicated life of Whitney Houston.
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1. Meagan Good
Meagan Good has been seen in films such as Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Think Like a Man and the television show, Deception. She can play comedy, drama and sexy. She does not have a singing career but she could simply lip sync to Whitney songs in the film. She looks the look and talks the talk. Good would be a great Whitney Houston.