For their participation in the TV series “Genius: Aretha,” the degree of difficulty was as high for Pulitzer-winning writer-showrunner Suzan-Lori Parks as it was for Harvard- and Yale-educated actor Courtney B. Vance, who portrays the Queen of Soul’s controversial preacher father CL Franklin.
To say the least, we were thrilled to speak to Courtney and Suzan-Lori, albeit virtually, for this Philippine exclusive, especially after watching the first four episodes of Season 3, which has an 85-percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In contrast, 2017’s “Genius: Einstein,” starring Geoffrey Rush, got 83 percent, while 2018’s “Genius: Picasso,” with Antonio Banderas in the …
Keep on reading: Courtney B. Vance on playing flawed character; Suzan-Lori Parks on hurdling 4 shutdowns in ‘Aretha’ biopic