Jon Batiste Is Set To Make Acting Debut In 'The Color Purple' Musical

Jon Batiste's multi-faceted career as a singer, songwriter, and bandleader has seen him perform with several music greats, including Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Roy Hargrove, and Mavis Staples.

The 35-year-old also doubles as a composer. He helped Pixar co-compose the score for their animated film "Soul," for which he received a shared Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and a BAFTA Film Award.

While Batiste's first foray into the film industry was through his behind-the-scenes work as a score composer, the singer has now chosen to reinvent himself as an actor, recently landing the role to make his film acting debut in "The Color Purple" musical.

Batiste, a Grammy-winning musician, will make his dramatic acting debut in the film musical "The Color Purple" according to Variety. The upcoming Warner Bros. film is based on celebrated novelist Alice Walker's novel of the same name, as well as Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated 1985 film adaption and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.

The narrative follows Celie Harris, performed by R&B musician Fantasia Barrino, as her life as an African American lady is confronted with the sexual harassment and other hardships well associated with living in the South in the early 1900s.

In the film, Grady, Taraji P. Henson's Shug Avery's husband, will be played by Batiste. His persona is a suave, sugar-tongued pianist who emanates charisma, grace, and eloquence that many people covet. Batiste takes over the role from Bennet Guillory, who played the part in the 1985 version of the film.

Oprah Winfrey, who garnered an Oscar nod for her performance in Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple," is producing the new musical through her Harpo Films label with Spielberg through his Amblin Entertainment. Earlier this year, Winfrey told Vanity Fair that the film served as "a vehicle for magic and purpose in her life," referencing when she made her feature in the older version.

The upcoming musical also stars Danielle Brooks as Sofia, Colman Domingo plays Mister, Corey Hawkins for Harpo, and H.E.R. as Squeak. Additionally, Halle Bailey will take on the young Nettie role, while Ciara plays the elder version of Bailey's role. Phylicia Pearl Mpasi portrays Young Celie, sister to Nettie, and Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis will star as Mama, mother of Celie and Nettie.

Elizabeth Marvel portrays Miss Millie, David Alan Grier plays Reverend Avery, Tamala J. Mann for First Lady to round up the cast.

Along with Winfrey, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones, who were behind the Broadway musical version, will produce the upcoming film. Blitz Bazawule, who directed Beyonce's video "Black Is King," has also been signed on to direct the new remake.

Sanders told Vanity Fair what fans might expect to see from the Celie character portrayed in the 1985 version by Whoopi Goldberg.

"Incorporating magical realism in this version of the story gives the audience a chance to go inside of Celie's imagination," Sanders said to the news publication. "In the early stages of Celie's story, she is meek and small and in many ways passive. So we don't really understand what's going on inside that head of hers. We know a lot is going on, but we don't know necessarily what it is."

Aside from his future role in the musical, Batiste has received several awards for his outstanding performance in the music industry. The musician just won five Grammys at the 2022 awards presentation for his fourth studio album, "We Are," which landed the album of the year.

Batiste, who is represented by CAA and attorneys Dan Shulman and Evan Krauss at Eisner LLP, has also received a total of 14 Recording Academy nominations since 2019. This year, he will coordinate a multi-concert series at Carnegie Hall in addition to serving as a bandleader and musical director on "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert since its inception in 2015.

Warner Bros will premiere "The Color Purple" musical in theatres on Dec. 20, 2023