Teyana Taylor proved her acting chops in her acclaimed role as a single mother struggling to make a home for her son in the gritty 2023 drama A Thousand and One. But the “Gonna Love Me” singer/actress is out to prove she’s a true double threat with her upcoming role in the as-yet-untitled Dionne Warwick biopic.
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On Wednesday (Jan. 24), Taylor praised the “Walk on By” star by giving props to the woman who she said helped her see herself. “And just like that.. 2020MORE Blessings!,” Taylor wrote alongside rose, praying hands and heart emoji in an Instagram post that featured a screenshot of an announcement from Warwick’s son, producer Damon Elliott, confirming the movie’s green light.
“It’s official… we are funded and we have a shoot date!” Elliott wrote, seemingly certifying that the film is ready to begin shooting; at press time there was no additional information on the production.
Taylor gave the 83-year-old Warwick her flowers in the post, writing, “Ms. Dionne Warwick… A woman of great statue, poise and elegance, with a fiery spirit — Realizing I was looking at my future self. My reflection without a mirror,” adding, “Being able to learn and study from one of the greats like, @therealdionnew has allowed me to learn a lot about myself and the woman I am today. She has taught us to be proud of who you are…. —Don’t Make Me Over.”
The post ended with Taylor telling Warwick that her music and social involvement has “enhanced the culture. Your soul and artistry serves as an example of not only resilience and strength, but of faith and purpose.” Taylor included a nod to the producers behind the film and Elliott, writing, “We are so excited to make you proud!… Shout out to @iamdamonelliott it’s GO TIMEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! It’s been a long time coming!!!”
Taylor announced plans for the movie in March 2023, telling Tamron Hall that they had already begun working on the biopic. “We’re in the building process right now. I’ve always wanted to make sure like, I could lock in with any person that I would be playing, you know?,” Taylor said at the time. “How Angela [Bassett] and Tina [Turner] was, how Jamie Foxx and Ray Charles, you know what I’m saying? Like, to really get to know them and I miss when movies was like that, when you get to know them and tap in and just bond.”
She said that at that point she and Warwick were already talking to each other every day. “That’s my girl. Me, her, and her son [Elliott],” she said. “I mean, I’ve always been a firm believer in just always standing on safety. She’s had a wonderful career, you know, and I think right now it’s about making her feel as safe as possible so she can tell her story. A lot of these stories get misconstrued or extremely dramatized to an extent and that’s not where we want to go.”
The role seemed to manifest naturally back in 2020, when notoriously hilarious X poster Warwick had a meet-cute on what was then called Twitter in which Dionne tweeted at Netflix with a plea to make a movie and take her casting suggestion. “Please don’t ask who I would cast to play me as it would obviously be Teyana Taylor,” Warwick wrote at the time.
See Taylor’s post below.