Mary J. Blige Embraces 'Betty & Coretta' Role

Taking a breather from her Liberation Tour with D'Angelo, Mary J. Blige is in Montreal this week to begin filming "Betty & Coretta," a double biopic of Betty Shabazz (played by Blige) and Coretta Scott King (Angela Bassett) in the wake of the deaths of their husbands, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.  

"Right now it's a little sad but I'm enjoying it... it's the death of Malcolm, the death of Martin and the women trying to be strong and get through it," Blige told Billboard of the early screen tests and makeup work she's already done to look the part.

Shooting for the biopic, which will air on Lifetime, began on Tuesday. Having previously acted in this summer's "Rock of Ages," where she sang a standout cover of Pat Benatar's "Shadows of the Night," she clearly seems to have caught the acting bug.  

"I've really been enjoying the whole experience," she said. "It's a lot of long days and months and weeks and you know, I'm working my way through it."

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