You might not recognize Marlon Wayans when he first appears in Respect, the new Aretha Franklin biopic. As Ted White, Aretha's manager and first husband, Wayans quietly captivates in a dapper suit and brown fedora, barely hiding a mischievous grin as he gazes at Aretha, played by Jennifer Hudson. He's smug yet charming, a handsome hustler with an abusive streak.
"I thought it was a chance to play someone sexy, dangerous, damaged, insecure," he says on a Zoom call from Los Angeles. "It's a different look for me."
