Taraji P. Henson Thanks “The Color Purple” Vocal Coach Who Helped Her ‘Unlock Some Thangs Vocally’
Henson posted a behind-the-scenes clip of herself working with her vocal coach to Instagram Wednesday
Stevie Mackey Instagram; Ser Baffo/Warner Bros.
Taraji P. Henson Shares Throwback Video Practicing with Vocal CoachTaraji P. Henson is celebrating the success of her movie, The Color Purple.
The actress, 53, shared a video to her Instagram on Wednesday of vocal rehearsals with her coach Stevie Mackey. The pair were preparing for her role of Shug Avery ahead of the movie's Christmas Day release.
“Ladies and gentlemen the man behind #ShugAveryvoice,” Henson’s caption on the clip began. In the video, she stands beside the coach as he plays the piano and they both sing tunes from the smash hit.
“I love you so much. You helped me to unlock some thangs vocally. We worked so hard. You helped give me the confidence I needed to breathe life into #shugavery I LOVE YOU FOREVER AND I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL💜💜💜🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💋💋💋 #Repost from @steviemackey,” Henson's caption continued.
The musical is a remake of Steven Spielberg's 1985 original motion picture of the same name. The remake earned the second-biggest Christmas Day opening of all time earlier this week.
Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
'The Color Purple' movie posterThe movie's star-studded cast also features Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, Colman Domingo, Ciara and Deon Cole.
A synopsis for the remake reads: "A musical adaptation of Alice Walker's novel about the life-long struggles of an African-American woman living in the South during the early 1900s."
Henson plays Shug Avery, a sultry blues singer with a heart of gold who is adored by men and envied by most women.
Ser Boff
Fantasia Barrino as Celie and Taraji P.Henson as Shug AveryThe musical was adapted from Alice Walker’s 1982 novel — which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 — and the Tony-winning musical that premiered on Broadway in 2005.
Oprah Winfrey — who starred in the original Oscar-nominated film — served as an executive producer this time around. Whoopi Goldberg — who received an Oscar nomination for her role as Celie in the 1985 version — also returned for a cameo.
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Earlier this month, Henson joined costars Barrino, 39, and Brooks, 34, along with Winfrey, 69, for a joint interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Henson revealed to the outlet that while she appreciated the first film, the remake gave them a chance to do things differently.
"We don’t wallow in the muck. We don’t stay stuck in our traumas. We laugh, we sing, we go to church, we dance, we celebrate, we fight for joy, we find joy, we keep it. That’s all we have," she says.
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