Who Should Play Oprah Winfrey In A Movie?

Well it’s happening: The Best Book Of All Time (aka Oprah Winfrey’s memoir) is in the process of being sold, and I am sitting here counting the minutes until I can get my hands on the thing. Forgive me for being so Oprah-obsessed, but that woman is my queen, and I will worship her until the day she dies. Or I die. Whichever comes first. According to Deadline Hollywood, Oprah Winfrey’s autobiography is reportedly moving toward an eight-figure payday, and while I want to sit aghast at that number for the next 17 hours because HOLY HELL that is a lot of money for a book, really what my mind is on is one thing: Who should play Oprah Winfrey in the movie adaptation of her life that will inevitably follow the release of this book?

OK, so nothing has been announced yet. But come on — you know there is going to be a movie version of her life. You just know it. With all of the nitty gritty finally being revealed in this memoir, you know production companies and film studios everywhere will be fighting for a chance to get their hands on some of that Oprah magic, and that means a major movie deal. But who exactly will play Oprah Winfrey, one of the biggest celebrities of our time? Will it be an actress we know and love, or will casting directors go in the direction of Selma and cast a relatively unknown actress in the part?

It would make sense to cast an actress that the world barely knows, just so that we don’t have a ton of preconceived notions going into the film, but just in case they decide to go with someone really big, here are some of my suggestions for who would do this role of a lifetime serious justice.

Angela Bassett

Bassett already has that autobiography thing down after playing Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It.

Viola Davis

A fan favorite, Davis is riding high after her Emmy win just a few months ago. She could ride that wave right into a starring role in this blockbuster film.

Kerry Washington

This might be a stretch, but that girl can act her way out of anything. I could see her playing the part perfectly.

Jada Pinkett Smith

A veritable force to be reckoned with, Pinkett Smith would slay as Oprah Winfrey. And she’s powerful enough to capture the star’s amazing vulnerability and strength.

Jennifer Hudson

She’s a bit young for the part, but who wasn’t bowled over by her portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls? If she can play that part so strongly, something tells me she could take on Her Royal Highness, The Queen of Daytime Talk just fine.

So have at ‘em casting directors — when this movie is inevitably put into production, you can thank me in advance copies of this memoir.