Lifetime's biopic of legendary diva Whitney Houston gets its national television debut tonight (Jan. 17). The film's star, Yaya DaCosta, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the movie and the "daunting" task of portraying the beloved singer. Angela Bassett, who worked with Houston on 1993's Waiting to Exhale, directed the TV film.
DaCosta, best known as a runner-up in America's Next Top Model and, more recently, a belching Black Panther in Lee Daniels' The Butler, explained the weight of the role.
"I didn't have any hesitations. It was daunting because it was Whitney Houston. It was a big deal," she said. "I couldn't phone it in. Not that I phone in anything, but it is a role that is bigger than any role that I've ever done. It's a woman whose stardom was larger than most stars in our lifetime. So, yes, it was daunting."
The actress grew up listening to Houston and loving her work. Unfortunately, since the Houston family has disowned the project and there was only a short window to prepare for the film, DaCosta's depiction draws on mostly secondary sources. Bassett was the only primary source to give the actress insight on the singer.
"Sometimes on set in the middle of a scene she'd remember something, or maybe I'd do something that reminded her of something that Whitney actually did," she said. "There were little stories and anecdotes that helped bring her spirit to the set and helped inform my character."
Information about the film paints an incomplete picture. According to THR, the movie "focuses on the high points of her career and her marriage with R&B star Bobby Brown." As most fans know, Houston's life was marked by some unfortunate low points as well. Her 2012 death will not be addressed in the film or post credits.
The last biopic Lifetime attempted without the blessing of family members was about Aaliyah. We remember how that turned out, right?
"Lifetime has chosen to go ahead with the movie about Whitney in spite of my family's objections," a statement from Houston's family read. "No one connected with this movie knew Whitney or anything about her relationship with Bobby."
