The first photos of Beyoncé as Etta James in the film, “Cadillac Records,” have leaked courtesy of the celeb-obsessed photo site JustJared. And despite not really looking anything like her and being rather underweight for the part, B is finally starting to look the part.
The film centers around R&B magnate Leonard Chess (played by Adrien Brody) and the titular estimable Chicago R&B record label “Cadillac Records.”
Chess Records launched the careers of such R&B greats as Muddy Waters, Etta James and Chuck Berry and the film will also chronicle the lives of American musical legends like Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, and Elvis Presley.
The film will also star Jeffrey Wright (as Muddy Waters), Cedric the Entertainer (Willie Dixon, Emmanuelle Chriqui (the Montreal born hottie from “Entourage”), Columbus Short (Little Walter) and Tammy Blanchard.
We’re not the only ones that think the former Destiny’s Child star looks nothing like the soul singer.
Etta James herself spoke to PageSix about Beyoncé and sounded rather skeptical, “Etta James ain’t been no angel!” she said at the time. “I don’t think she looks like me, but that’s all right. They can fix that up.” And they seem like they’re doing a decent job so far.
The 70-year-old singer, who battled a fierce heroin addiction for many years, also candidly hopes the “Dream Girls” star can get her hands a little dirty in the role and dial down the class to properly capture her essence. “I wasn’t as bougie as she is, she’s bourgeois. She knows how to be a lady, she’s like a model. I wasn’t like that… I smoked in the bathroom in school, I was kinda arrogant, so those are some of the things I would want to tell her.”