Hola What’s Hot Fam,
Lifetime’s latest biopic “Wendy Williams: The Movie” is sure to spill some tea about the outspoken television host’s life. With Ciera Payton stepping in Wendy’s size 11 shoes for the lead role, the film takes viewers on a journey through some of the celebrity gossiper’s greatest––and not so greatest–––hits.
“Talk show host Wendy Williams executive produces the biopic on her life, revealing the highs and lows she has experienced throughout the years,” an overview of the film reads. “Wendy has made herself the go-to source for great celebrity dish on her hit talk show, The Wendy Williams Show, but recently the spotlight has turned towards her. The authorized project provides a revealing look at Wendy’s journey, from her scrappy upstart days in urban radio to the success of her own syndicated talk show. Despite all the naysayers and obstacles Wendy encountered throughout her life, her strength and determination have allowed her to thrive.”
The film touches on everything from her rise to fame and romances to her drug habit and sexual assault.
Lead actress Payton told reporters during an exclusive press conference that due to the pandemic she never got to actually meet Wendy in person.
“I never got a chance to meet her in person,” the 35-year-old revealed.”I’ve only spoken to her on the phone and exchanged text messages with her…But it ended up being so cool. I had my little questions to ask her, but most of it was just like her just filling in all of the blanks for me for some of the stuff in the story. Her sharing, you know, really what like her reactions were and just kind of having her just share her point of view and really like what the tea was behind all that.”
You may also recognize Payton from “Tyler Perry’s The Oval” as Lilly Winthrop. She’s also appeared in Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Family Funeral” and “Madea Goes to Jail.” Her other credits include appearance in “NCIS,” “Flight of Fury,” and “Grace Land.”
Alongside Payton, Morocco Omari stars as Wendy’s ex-husband Kevin Hunter. The star had to take a different approach in prepping for his role as he had no way of contacting the man he was tasked with portraying.
“Since he’s from New York, he’s Brooklyn and I’m from Chicago, I watched a lot of Fat Joe and Dame Dash and I kind of meshed them two together and came up with Kevin Hunter,” he explained.
Omari has also claimed roles in “Empire” as FBI agent Tariq Cousins and more recently in “P-Valley” as Big L. The actor also made appearances in “NCIS” and worked along side the late Chadwick Boseman in “21 Bridges.”
Lifetime’s “Wendy Williams: The Movie” premieres Saturday, January 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.