Netflix's 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom': Meet Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman and rest of the cast of the film on Mother of Blues
With just a short while to go for the Netflix premiere of Chadwick Boseman's last performing role, anticipation builds up for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'. A star cast, iconic numbers from the real-life Mother of Blues' discography, and a whirlwind love triangle brew quite the spitfire controversy between the titular musician and her bandmate Levee, whose ambition knows no bounds in the film adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play of the same name.
The plot teases "Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey. Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious cornet player Levee — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives."
The streaming platform also adds that the film "celebrates the transformative power of the blues and the artists who refuse to let society’s prejudices dictate their worth. Directed by George C. Wolfe and adapted for the screen by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the film is produced by Fences Oscar® nominees Denzel Washington and Todd Black. Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, Jeremy Shamos, and Jonny Coyne co-star alongside Grammy winner Branford Marsalis’ score." But its cast is something to watch out for, for sure. Read on to find out who stars!
Viola Davis
With her six-year-long ABC drama 'How to Get Away with Murder' just wrapping in early 2020, it's a treat to behold the Academy Award-winning actress return to the screen. Known for her stellar performances in films like 'The Help', 'Fences', 'Widows', and even 'Suicide Squad', Davis plays the titular role of the legendary Mother of Blues in the Netflix adaptation of Wilson's play.
Chadwick Boseman
He gave us the superhero the world wasn't ready for but sure can't get over for years to come. Such was the spirit of the Avenger taken too soon from us in the crushing year that 2020 has been. The late Boseman, our beloved Black Panther who died from cancer at the age of 43, plays Ma Rainey's challenger Levee, the trumpet player, in what is his last performing feature role. Just the trailer is enough to give one chills, so fans of the 'Da 5 Bloods', '42', and 'Get on Up' have more than just tears in store when it comes to the movie.
Colman Domingo
The new generation knows this face very, very well. He's the glimmer of hope flickering in Rue Bennett's life in the highly controversial, dark, depraved, and twisted HBO teen drama 'Euphoria' that bagged Zendaya her first-ever Emmy. Domingo plays the role of Ali in the HBO drama, and quite similar to the character is his role Cutler in the Netflix movie. Culter, like Ali, is the the easer of tension between Levee and the rest of the bandmates and sometimes between him and Ma herself.
Taylour Paige
Having starred as Ahsha Hayes on the VH1 show 'Hit the Floor', Paige is an acclaimed dancer who's quietly but steadily making her move up the ladder in Hollywood with her incredible talents. From 2010 video shorts 'Alex in Wonderland: Rehearsing Wonderland' and 'Alex in Wonderland: Interview with Debbie Allen' to the 2011 comedy short film 'Mousetrap', the 2015 drama 'Touched', and then her big breaks like the HBO comedy 'Ballers' and the titular Jean in the 2016 comedy 'Jean of the Joneses', Paige is quite the familiar face within the industry. In the Netflix film, she stars as Dussie Mae, Ma Rainey's lover, who sparks a whirlwind and damning affair with Levee on the day of the recording.
The film also stars Glynn Turman as Toledo, who Levee keeps messing with as he is much older than the ambitious trumpet player. Michael Potts plays Slow Drag, another band member who believes one can really sell their soul to Satan and get whatever they want in return. Jeremy Shamos plays the starstruck White manager Irvin, whose boss Sturdyvant is laid by Jonny Coyne. Dusan Brown plays Ma Rainey's nephew Sylvester, who struggles with a stuttering problem.