H.E.R. will be making her acting debut in a musical adaptation of the iconic book and movie, “The Color Purple.”
The Grammy Award-winning actress will play “Squeak,” a juke joint waitress in the Warner Bros. adaptation.
Novelist Alice Walker won a Pulitzer Prize for the 1982 book. It was also nominated for an Oscar.
For those who don’t know, the story centers on a woman named Celie Harris, who is sold to a local man to become his wife. Her husband is abusive and in love with another woman named Shug Avery. His children have very little respect for her and her sister is torn away from her while she is still just a child.
“There is so much I want to do. People don’t really get to see my comedic and fun side, except for when I’m impersonating my aunt,” the singer tells Variety. “But I definitely want to do a lot more voice-overs, and comedy, but also some serious roles.” She continued: “I’m trying to do it all, I know. Whatever it is, one thing at a time. I’m gonna get there.”
“In the Heights” star Corey Hawkins will be playing Harpo in the film.
The musical originally ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2008 before being revived in 2015 with Cynthia Erivo as Celie. The musical won two Tonys for Best Revival of a Musical and for Erivo’s performance.
Erivo says the role helped her play activist Harriet Tubman in the movie “Harriet.”
“They’re both dealing with [abuse] from different places: Celie, it is insidious because it comes from people who should be protecting her, taking care of her; with Harriet, her abuse comes from people who can disconnect completely,” she explained to Playbill. “There are two different pains that come with that. There’s a pain of betrayal when it comes to Celie and there’s a pain of dissonance and a want for freedom [with Harriet].”
