"Before I was born, your voice was already opening doors for me," Erivo wrote in the caption. The British Oscar nominee will portray Franklin in the upcoming third season of Genius, due … Fans of Aretha Franklin will have not one but two biopic projects to check out this year, starring Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson. A new trailer for the latest edition, the series third, was released Tuesday. Cynthia erivo’s portrayal as aretha franklin is simply heart stopping people is presenting a first look at an upcoming episode of genius: aretha titled “amazing grace.” it’s the sixth in the anthology series and takes viewers through franklin’s process of recording her best selling live gospel album amazing grace during the early 1970s. It marks the second major real-life figure she's brought to life on screen, after earning a Best Actress Oscar nod for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman in Harriet. Emmy, Grammy and Tony award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo transforms into the "Queen of Soul" in a new television series about American songstress Aretha Franklin. The third installment of National Geographic’s Genius series premiered on March 21, with eight episodes released over the course of a week—ending on what would have been Franklin’s 79th birthday on March 25. Cynthia Erivo won the role of Aretha Franklin singing on a red … Franklin, Malcolm Barrett as Ted White, David Cross as legendary music producer Jerry Wexler and Shaian Jordan as a young Aretha Franklin. Cynthia Erivo has tons of respect for Aretha Franklin. "We met her afterwards, she came backstage, she sang the line 'I'm here' back to me, so I couldn't have been happier after that," Erivo recalls. "To be able to sing something and to know that was the reaction that was brought about by a performance of mine, you wish that if she's anywhere listening, I hope every time she hears me singing, that's how it feels when she hears it," she says. " (National Geographic/Richard DuCree) National Geographic has shared a new image of Cynthia Erivo in character as Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin to mark what would have been the music icon’s 78th birthday. That topic is explored in the limited series Genius: Aretha, premiering Sunday night on National Geographic, and then the next day on Hulu.. Emmy-winner Cynthia Erivo, who plays Franklin in … Meanwhile, actress Cynthia Erivo shared a montage of photos from different points in Franklin's early career, set to her 1968 hit "Ain't No Way." She responded with "Ain't No Way," by Aretha Franklin, and sang a bit of it to demonstrate her love for the tune. Its anthology series, "Genius," is celebrating the talent and the drive of the late Queen of Soul. I think she's doing a fabulous job, and she's doing her own singing. Cynthia Erivo Takes on Playing 'Queen of Soul' Aretha FranklinYou can never have too much Aretha Franklin. Franklin, one of the greatest and most celebrated artists of our time. "It's daunting because there are people who already have an impression of who that person is before you play them, but then you have to let that go and find out what your version is so you can do it as fully and truthfully as you can," Erivo says. Erivo will be performing songs from Franklin’s discography, including the 1987 hit “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me.” Erivo is joined by Courtney B. Vance as Aretha’s father, C.L. Updated 2235 GMT (0635 HKT) February 9, 2021, (CNN)Cynthia Erivo is putting on the crown of the Queen of Soul in the new trailer for National Geographic's "Genius: Aretha. 21, at 9 p.m `` Harriet. January 2021 | Updated 04:21. 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