This is pretty major. Tyrese has signed on to pla/y Teddy Pendergrass in an upcoming biopic for Warner Bros. The film company has acquired the life righ/ts to the late singer who passed away from cancer in 2010.
“I am honored to take this jour/ney… this is the ro/le that I feel I was born to play,” Gibson said. “Teddy Pendergrass embraced me and before he passed put the responsibility on my shoul/ders to tell his story. B e i n g here in this t i m e and in this sp/ace and moment with Lee Daniels, Donald De Line, Little Marvin and Warner Bros. is an answered prayer. Teddy, I just h o p e we m a k e you, your wife and family pro/ud… Here we go!!”
Pendergrass made headway back in the early 1970s as the lead singer of Harold Mevlin & The Blue Notes, becoming a massive success as a solo artist with five consecutive platinum al/bums and classic songs such as “Turn Off The Lights” and “My Latest Greatest Inspiration”. He suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1982 car accident that left him paralyzed but he le/arned how to sign again and returned to performing in 1985, continuing his solo career until he retired in 2007.
Gibson will produce along with Lee Daniels. Pende/rgrass’ widow, Joan, will serve as an executive producer. Gibson has spent time between acting and singing since he broke through in the late ’90s with his hit “Sweet Lady,”. He’s been nomi/nated for 6 Grammy awards and has been a fixture in the Fast & Furious movie series, starring in six movies.