Source: HBO
The four-time Emmy-award winning HBO film Bessie, directed by Dee Rees, depicts the life and times of songstress Bessie Smith, a.k.a., the Empress of the Blues. Starring Queen Latifah as the openly bisexual, Chattanooga music legend who rose to prominence in the 1920s, Mo’Nique as fellow performer, mentor and friend Ma Rainey, Tika Sumpter as Smith’s girlfriend Lucille, and Michael K. Williams as Jack Dee, Smith’s first husband, the film is replete with great performances, visuals and overall storytelling. And it’s no wonder, considering that Bessie was also co-written by Dee Rees, who wrote and directed Pariah. If you haven’t seen the film, do yourself a favor and check it out ASAP. And in the meantime, read on for secrets behind the making of Bessie.
