Now this is who you get to play Marvin Gaye in a biopic.
Sexual Healing, from director Julien Temple (Bullet, Earth Girls Are Easy), was originally slated to star Lenny Kravitz as the beloved R&B musician, but the “Stand” singer has since dropped out of the project, leaving ample space for Jesse L. Martin to step in and take on the iconic role, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Martin, interestingly enough, had actually been attached to a different Gaye biopic that eventually fell dormant.
RELATED: Lenny Kravitz to Play Marvin Gaye in Biopic
Of course, it should come as no surprise that multiple casting directors took aim at the Broadway star (who became relatively famous after playing Tom Collins, the openly gay philosopher, in Broadway’s beloved Rent): he can sing in a sweet, velvetty tone not unlike Gaye himself, and Martin looks remarkably like the deceased singer.
Sexual Healing, named after Gaye’s famous sensual tune, has undergone some changes since Kravitz was attached, changing the focus from Gaye’s struggles with drugs to his attempt to climb out of the chasm his problems caused. In fact, Martin signing on to the biopic actually brings the actor back to Sexual Healing — the actor was previously attached to the film in 2006, when it was conceived as an HBO movie. Now the movie finally aims to come to fruition, making the wise choice of replacing the spastic Kravitz with the smooth (and appropriately sensual) Martin.
Follow Kelsea On Twitter @KelseaStahler
[Photo Credit: Victoria Will/AP Photo]
From Our Partners:
40 Most Revealing See-Through Red Carpet Looks (Vh1)
15 Stars Share Secrets of their Sex Lives (Celebuzz)
