This iconic singer personally chose Zendaya to portray her in the upcoming biopic while she was still alive. Yes, we're speaking about Ronnie Spector, whom Zendaya is set to portray in Barry Jenkins' autobiographical film.
According to Deadline, Jenkins and Zendaya have reportedly been searching for a project to work on together for some time now, and the pair have landed on a take on Spector's life that will also tap into her Phil Spector, a man known for his musical talent and very troubled lifestyle. The rights to Spector's life are already set for the project, and it will also use her memoir, Be My Baby, as another source of inspiration. Spector wrote the memoir with Vince Waldron.
For those unfamiliar, Ronnie Spector co-founded and led the girl group The Ronettes alongside her older sister and cousin in the late 1950s. Signed to Phil Spector’s label, the group rose to prominence in the 1960s with iconic hits such as Be My Baby, Baby, I Love You and Walking in the Rain.
After a period of relative career quiet, Spector made a successful comeback in 1986, featuring on Eddie Money’s Take Me Home Tonight, which became a top-five hit on the Billboard charts. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of The Ronettes. Ronnie Spector passed away on 12 January 2022 at the age of 78.
