It’s no question that Brandy is R&B royalty. And now’s as good a time as any to bless the world with a biopic. But it’s never an easy job casting for the role of a musical legend. However, Halle Bailey just might be the perfect star to bring a Brandy biopic to life. Heck, even Brandy herself thinks so.
Sure, there’s the Whitney Houston biopic route, where an actress lip-syncs to original tracks, but there’s a lot more authenticity when a singer steps into these shoes. Which is why Halle Bailey’s name has been making the rounds. But where are the casting rumors coming from, anyway?
Halle Bailey as Brandy: A Hollywood match!
Halle Bailey on the big screen as Brandy Norwood would be a dream come true. But it’s not just fans doing the dreaming. In fact, the buzz started with Brandy herself. On Aug. 27th, Brandy appeared on an A24 studio interview titled “Close Up with Brandy,” and it was there she spilled the beans about wanting Halle Bailey to play her in a biopic. Clips began circulating around social media, and the rest, as they say, is viral tweets.
The suggestion is not exactly shocking. Both Brandy and Halle have startlingly similar career trajectories, despite coming from different generations. They also seem to have very similar, warm and welcoming personalities. And to top it off, they’re equally powerful vocalists! And if the Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid tells us anything, it’s how much Halle is up to the task with her acting!
Before this, many tweets have gone down in viral history wishing Halle Bailey would star in a Janet Jackson biopic. But if that doesn’t come through, this is more than enough. And who says the 24-year-old singer-songwriter-actress can’t do both?
Why does the world need a Brandy biopic?
Brandy’s career first took off in the 1990s with hit singles like “I Wanna Be Down” and “Baby.” Brandy would go on to become an R&B pioneer before her 18th birthday, and her influence still continues to reverberate in the works of industry hotshots like Arianna Grande, Sam Smith, and Rihanna.
But Brandy wasn’t just successful in the music industry, as she was equally a trailblazing actress. Brandy practically raised an entire generation on her sitcom Moesha, which aired on UPN from 1996 till 2001. Brandy would also star in the 1997 Cinderella movie co-produced by none other than the legendary fairy godmother, Whitney Houston. She was “the Black Cinderella,” so very similar to Halle Bailey’s “Black Ariel.” In fact, Bailey confessed to being inspired by her for the role!
So, even if the Brandy biopic still exists mostly in speculation land for now, the mere possibility of it is enough to get a lot of people going! These two hard working women have scores of fans across all ages who would nearly break necks in anticipation of a collab, and for good reason. And one thing’s for sure – a Brady biopic, with or without Halle Bailey, would be a deserved tribute to an often- overlooked artist who helped shape R&B for her generation, for the young artists of today, and for generations to come.