Cynthia Erivo reveals what it’s like to play Aretha Franklin in the new season of Genius

Fans of Aretha Franklin will have not one but two biopic projects to check out this year, starring Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson.

Erivo, 34, plays the Queen of Soul in the new season of National Geographic’s critically-acclaimed series Genius, which debuts March 21, while Hudson, 39, plays the iconic singer in the new film Respect, in theaters August 13.

While promoting her new show Genius in an interview with E!’s Daily Pop, when she was asked what it felt like to play the same legend at the same time as Hudson.

Two projects: Fans of Aretha Franklin will have not one but two biopic projects to check out this year, starring Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson

Biopic: Erivo, 34, plays the Queen of Soul in the new season of National Geographic's critically-acclaimed series Genius, which debuts March 21, while Hudson, 39, plays the iconic singer in the new film Respect, in theaters August 13

Biopic: Erivo, 34, plays the Queen of Soul in the new season of National Geographic’s critically-acclaimed series Genius, which debuts March 21, while Hudson, 39, plays the iconic singer in the new film Respect, in theaters August 13

‘I’m greedy. So, any Aretha I can get, I’m getting. I want to hear Aretha coming out of Jennifer’s mouth. Those two have a really special relationship,’ Erivo said.

Hudson added she was ‘so excited’ that there are multiple projects celebrating the Queen of Soul, which doesn’t always happen for Black women.

‘It’s something that we as Black women barely get so, to have her celebrated like this is so cool,’ Erivo said.

Greedy: 'I'm greedy. So, any Aretha I can get, I'm getting. I want to hear Aretha coming out of Jennifer's mouth. Those two have a really special relationship,' Erivo said

Greedy: ‘I’m greedy. So, any Aretha I can get, I’m getting. I want to hear Aretha coming out of Jennifer’s mouth. Those two have a really special relationship,’ Erivo said

Franklin passed away in 2018 at 76 years of age, and Franklin was asked what was the one thing she’d say to the Queen of Soul, if she could.

‘I don’t know how you did this. I don’t know how she made it through all of the things she made it through, still kept her sense of humor, still managed to keep a sense of brightness about her, managed to raise a family and make all the music she made,’ Erivo said.

She added Franklin was, ‘brave all the time… and she always looked fabulous,’ while revealing the one Aretha song that always hits harder than the rest for her. 

One thing: Franklin passed away in 2018 at 76 years of age, and Franklin was asked what was the one thing she'd say to the Queen of Soul, if she could

One thing: Franklin passed away in 2018 at 76 years of age, and Franklin was asked what was the one thing she’d say to the Queen of Soul, if she could

‘You’re All I Need To Get By, there’s such a joy in that piece of music that I love,’ Erivo added.

When asked about taking on such a larger-than-life figure, Erivo said she was aware of the weight the role carried. 

‘I felt like I had a responsibility to try and tell the story as fully and as truthfully and as honestly as it possibly could,’ Erivo said.

Weight: When asked about taking on such a larger-than-life figure, Erivo said she was aware of the weight the role carried

Weight: When asked about taking on such a larger-than-life figure, Erivo said she was aware of the weight the role carried

Aretha is the third season in NatGeo’s Genius series, which has examined the life of Albert Einstein (Geoffrey Rush) in Season 1 and Pablo Picasso (Antonio Banderas) in Season 2.

The previously-announced fourth season will examine the life of Martin Luther King Jr., though casting has not yet begun.

Erivo can currently be seen in the sci-fi thriller Chaos Walking with Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley.

New season: Aretha is the third season in NatGeo's Genius series, which has examined the life of Albert Einstein in Season 1 and Pablo Picasso in Season 2

New season: Aretha is the third season in NatGeo’s Genius series, which has examined the life of Albert Einstein in Season 1 and Pablo Picasso in Season 2