The soul singer recently revealed her and Hackford's picks to play her father, minister and civil rights activist C.L. Franklin to Glamour magazine.
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"[Hackford] mentioned Denzel [Washington] first, and I was thinking of Billy Dee [Williams]," Franklin explained.
"And when I thought about Malcolm X, and what he [Washington] did with that, I said, 'Yes! He could do it. He could handle it. If he put a little more weight on and glasses, he could handle it'."
Franklin has not decided who she wishes to play her in the film, though she mentioned a few likely candidates.
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"We have Jennifer Hudson, we have Halle Berry, and Audra McDonald. That's the last three," she said. "I went to see Audra in Porgy and Bess, and I was very impressed with her dramatic ability. She was terrific."
Hackford is best known for Ray, his award-winning biopic about Ray Charles starring Jamie Foxx in the title role.
Watch Aretha Franklin performing 'Respect' below:
