Nat Geo taps Cynthia Erivo to play Aretha Franklin in Genius Season 3

TVLine

The British Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning actress, singer and songwriter will star in Genius: Aretha, the first-ever authorized retelling of the Queen of Soul’s life story. “Aretha Franklin has been a source of inspiration for me since I was a little girl,” Erivo said in a statement. “Her strength, passion and soul are evident in her everlasting legacy, not only as a transcendent artist, but as a humanitarian and civil rights icon. To have the opportunity to bring her legacy to life and show the fullness of her being, her humanity and brilliance, is an honor. What I know and have learned about what my voice, as an artist, can do and the power in it has been highly influenced by Franklin. I feel privileged and excited to be a part of the sharing of her genius.” Erivo won a Grammy and Tony for her work on Broadway's The Color People. She won a Daytime Emmy for The Color Purple's performance on the Today show in 2017.