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Lifetime Casts a Fair Skinned Canadian to Portray Missy Elliott In Aaliyah Biopic
Chattrisse Dolabaille
Reported by Kacie Whaley
Lifetime’s controversial Aaliyah biopic that is still in the process of production has cast two of its most important characters: Missy Elliott and Timbaland.
The late singer’s successful 1996 album, One in a Million, was produced by Missy and Timbaland, and also featured vocals from the two. The album sold 8 million copies worldwide and was called “one of the most influential R&B albums of the ’90s” by music critics. Aaliyah worked closely with both artists for the remainder of her career.
The Wrap has reported that super-producer Timbaland will be played by dancer/actor Izaak Smith. The Canadian native was a former contender on “So you Think You Can Dance: Canada” and has also starred in films such as Mirror Mirror and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
The woman playing animated rap artists Missy Elliott will be Hollywood newcomer Chattrisse Dolabaille. Dolabaille, who is also from Canada, specializes in dancing, singing, songwriting, and acting. She stared in a stage adaptation of High School Musical 2 in 2013 and choreographed a music video for Trinidadian artist Umi Marcano.
Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith
The television movie has also cast Rachael Crawford and Sterling Jarvis as Aaliyah’s parents; Lyriq Bent as her uncle and president of her label, Barry Hankerson; Anthony Grant as Damon Dash; and A.J. Saudin and Jesse Sukunda as Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad.
The lead role of Aaliyah will be played by Alexandra Shipp, who was cast after Zendaya Coleman decided against accepting the role.
The film is being produced by media personality Wendy Williams and Howard Braunstein, with Sparkle producer Debra Marin Chase as executive producer. Bradley Walsh is directing, and Brown Sugar and Just Wright screenwriter Michael Elliot has written the film’s script.
The film, which is based on Christopher Farley’s book Aaliyah: More Than a Woman, is expected to be titled Aaliyah: Princess of R&B. It is scheduled to finish filming by this summer, and is slated for release in the fall.
What do you think of the film’s Missy Elliott and Timbaland?
