Teyana Taylor is set to play Dionne Warwick in a new biopic.

The actress and musician revealed the news during a recent appearance on “The Tamron Hall Show” emphasizing that Dionne Warwick chose her to play her on the big screen. “We’re in the process of building the role right now,” explained Teyana Taylor.

“I always wanted to make sure I could connect with whatever person I was playing. What Angela Bassett and Tina Turner were like, what Jamie Foxx and Ray Charles were like, you know what I’m saying? I want to really get to know her” he emphasized.

He also mentioned that it has been ensured that the story of the legendary American singer will be presented in the right way, as there is a lot of criticism when it comes to the release of biopics about musicians. “We talk almost every day,” Taylor said. “She’s had a great career, you know, and I think right now we’re making her feel as safe as possible so she can tell her story. A lot of these stories are misrepresented or over-dramatized to some extent and that’s not what we want,” he explained.

Dionne Warwick was born in East Orange, New Jersey on December 12, 1940. She grew up with two other siblings in a deeply religious and musical family. Her father promoted gospel music records and her mother was the manager of the Drinkard Singers, a gospel group made up of Warwick’s aunts and uncles.

In 1959, Warwick received a music scholarship to the University of Hartford in Connecticut. While recording with The Drifters, musical director and composer Bert Bacara heard her unique voice. Warwick was signed to a recording contract in 1962, and her first single, “Don’t Make Me Over,” became a hit, attracting both R&B and pop audiences. From 1963 to 1966, the singer achieved unprecedented success.

In 1968, she became the first African-American solo artist to receive a Grammy, with her hit “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.” By 1970, he had recorded thirty hit singles, nearly twenty record-selling albums, and received a second Grammy for the album ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’.

She is also known for her activism on health issues and has contributed significantly to public awareness of the AIDS epidemic and her concerted efforts have raised millions of dollars to aid patients.