Ledisi Lands Lead Role in Upcoming Mahalia Jackson Biopic

LOS ANGELES - OCT 9: Ledisi at the 2018 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on October 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA — Photo by Deposit Photos)

Ledisi has signed on to play gospel great Mahalia Jackson in the upcoming biopic Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story.

Deadline first reported the casting news for the film on Tuesday.

“I am honored to be given a chance to paint the world through Mahalia’s eyes and sing her songs,” Ledisi said in a statement.

Related Story: New Documentary Details FBI Surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.

The Grammy-nominated R&B singer will co-star alongside Scandal alum Columbus Short as Martin Luther King Jr., a close friend of Jackson’s. Janet Hubert (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game) will also be part of the cast.

“I have dreamed of playing this role for many years,” said Short. “It’s truly a great honor to portray a man that has made such an indelible impact on society and to all of ours lives. I am thankful to Ericka for the opportunity and proud to play alongside a wonderful cast.”

Denise Dowse (Beverly Hills, 90210) will make her feature film directorial debut on Remember Me. Ericka Nicole Malone is the screenwriter and also serves as an executive producer with Phillip Robinson.

Related StoryJanet Hubert Gets Candid on ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Reunion: ‘I Lost Everything’

The film, which is named after one of Jackson’s song “Remember Me,” will center on her career as well as her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. The film will be set between 1956 and 1963.

Ledisi has played Jackson before. She first took on the role in 2014’s historical drama Selma, which chronicled the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches.

The Grammy-nominated R&B singer’s most recent television work was portraying Patti LaBelle in season two of BET’s American Soul.

A release date for the film has not yet been announced.