All of her preparation - the smoking, drinking and screaming - gave her voice the "gravel and grit" that the blues singer was known for.
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So, does Andra really sing all of the Billie Holiday songs in the movie?Įverything you see and hear in the movie is 100% Andra. Download Music Andra What About Us Average ratng: 6,6/10 4386 votes. To better understand Billie, Andra completely adopted her lifestyle: She started smoking cigarettes, drank cold water and gin, and screamed or sang until her voice went hoarse, according to an interview in Entertainment Weekly. Watching the movie, it's clear that Andra captures the many facets of Billie - her beauty, pain and power - while making the role her own after Diana Ross and Audra McDonald portrayed the iconic artist in Lady Sings the Blues and Lady Day, respectively. In many ways, the movie was an opportunity to share Billie with a whole new generation while educating audiences about how the government targeted the singer following the release of " Strange Fruit," a song inspired by her experiences witnessing the lynching of Black Americans. Now, Andra is nominated for Best Actress at the 93rd Academy Awards.Īt first, Andra was reluctant to play the jazz legend, who she and director Lee Daniels refer to as the "great godmother of civil rights." Of course, she went on to accept the role, deciding to face her fears "instead of asking for the storm to go away," as she described to Deadline. So much so, that her performance earned her the Best Actress in a Motion Drama award at this year's Golden Globes.