TLC is undoubtedly one of the most legendary groups to come out of the 1990’s. With hits like No Scrubs, Red Light Special, and 1994’s mega smash Waterfalls their place in music history is solidified. Unfortunately due to contract disputes, fighting amongst themselves, and the untimely death of one of their members of the trio we never got to see this RnB group reach their full potential. There’s a lot that people don’t know about this group, and I think it’s time that they receive a biopic.
I know, I know… VH1 did a TLC movie but let’s be honest for a second; a made for TV movie can’t quite do this group’s story justice. We need a big studio to take the wheel and create a TLC feature film that stands in the same arena as The Selena story, The Notorious B.I.G film, and most recently The Tupac and N.W.A movies. Today just for the fun of it I’m going to play fantasy casting director and reveal my top picks for the cast of a TLC movie.
Let’s start with the director.
Director. – F. Gary Gray
Why F. Gary Gray as the director? Well, you might not know the name, but he’s undoubtedly one of the best and most successful directors in Hollywood. “Friday,” “Set it Off,” and “The Fate of the Furious” were all directed by F. Gary Gray. But that’s not what makes him the perfect director for a TLC biopic. What makes him my top pick to sit in the director’s chair of this movie is the fact that he also directed the mega-successful N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton.” The film pulled in $200 million at the box office and garnered critical acclaim from all directions. With that in mind, there’s not a person more qualified to direct this film than F. Gary Gray.
Derek Luke as Antonio “L.A” Reid.
Not only did Derek Luke receive his first big break in Hollywood from appearing in the award-winning biopic “Antwone Fisher” as the title character, but he also played record label executive Sean “Diddy” Combs in the Notorious B.I.G biopic “Notorious.” It’s clear that Derek Luke is a biopic veteran. He has the look, he has the on-screen talent, I can’t pinpoint a better actor to play record label executive L.A Reid in a TLC feature film.
Taraji P. Henson as Perri “Pebbles” Reid
Perri “Pebbles” Reid was the wife of label executive L.A Reid. She’s also the woman that created TLC and got them their deal with her husband’s label “LaFace Records.” Pebbles has always been portrayed by the media as cut throat, no nonsense, and ruthless when it comes to making her money. To me, that sounds a lot like Taraji P. Henson’s character “Cookie Lyon” on the hit show “Empire.” Taraji is no doubt one of the best actresses in Hollywood and would be a perfect fit for this role.
Serayah McNeill as Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas
Serayah is a relative newcomer in Hollywood. But, she’s an actress, she’s a singer, and she plays a star RnB artist on Fox’s show “Empire.” I think she has the look and the talent to portray TLC member “Chilli” on screen. She will also bring a lot of Empire’s audience out to movie theaters along with Taraji P. Henson.
Cardi B as Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.
Belcalis Almanzar, known professionally as Cardi B is my most risky pick because she’s never appeared in a starring role on television or film. (Unless Love & Hip Hop Hollywood counts) But I’m willing to risk it because she definitely has the look, the skills as a rapper, and the spunky personality to channel Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ character if she takes the role seriously.
Zendaya as Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins.
She’s an actress, singer, and dancer. She’s perfect for the Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins. With an appearance in the upcoming film “Spider-Man: Homecoming” Zendaya’s star is definitely rising in Hollywood. The success of this film could be her big break into the movie industry.
Conclusion
Casting a biopic is difficult, and it seems that what most often works is casting unknown actors in the roles of these legendary figures. The big question is will we ever see a TLC feature film in theaters? Only time will tell. I hope we do. For a group that had so much impact on the music scene, have such an intriguing story, and have so many fans worldwide they definitely deserve it.
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