John Legend Lands Unexpected Role in His First Major Live-Action Movie in 10 Years

John Legend lands a major role in an upcoming Bill Condon directorial. The musician will make his live-action appearance for the first time in the last decade. He will play one of the iconic civil rights activists in the movie based on true events.

Condon’s The Road Home is currently in production and has recently cast Legend as one of the leads. The EGOT winner will portray the late Harry Belafonte, an entertainer and civil rights icon. He will join the other cast members Thabo Rametsi, Cynthia Erivo, and Johnny Flynn. They will play Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, and Paul Simon, respectively.

With the filming currently ongoing in South Africa, the story focuses on one of pop culture’s historical controversies. Back in the mid-1980s, Simon traveled to an apartheid South Africa to record songs with township musicians. This resulted in the Grammy-winning album Graceland. However, this moment also ignited an uproar by the Anti-Apartheid Movement, who accused him of violating the United Nations’ cultural boycott of the country.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, the movie is told through the perspective of Masekela, an exiled South African trumpeter. In the biopic, the trumpeter is forced to choose between his mentor, Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, and his own belief that music can serve the struggle. After being exiled by his mentor, he joins the vocalist Makeba and Simon to start the Graceland band, a group that spread South Africa’s music to the world.

Why John Legend’s new role marks a major movie comeback

John Legend has previously appeared in documentaries, taken on voice acting roles, and worked on other projects. However, his new role in the upcoming drama will mark a major milestone in his career.

The EGOT winner’s last acting role was in 2016’s La La Land, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. In the Oscar-winning movie, he plays Keith, a contemporary Jazz artist and bandleader. He also performs the song “Start a Fire,” co-written with the movie’s composer Justin Hurwitz, Marius De Vries, and Angelique Cinelu.

Legend’s role as the late civil rights activist in the upcoming movie is a major comeback for the singer. Belafonte was popularly known for breaking racial barriers as an entertainer and popularising Caribbean calypso music with international audiences.

In a statement, Legend said, “I was honored to know Mr. Belafonte as my friend, mentor, and collaborator in the struggle for justice. He was an incredible human being who lived a monumental, revolutionary life. He was the epitome of an artist and activist who set a standard for me and so many others who stand on his shoulders. I count it a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Harry Belafonte in this special film.”

Source: Comingsoon.net