Makeup Artist Laini Thompson on Helping Transform Andra Day Into Billie Holiday
For Billie Holiday’s listeners, her music is eternal, but her life story may be less so. Directed by Lee Daniels, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (now streaming on Hulu) envelops itself in both aspects of the star’s biography, opening on Billie (Andra Day) on stage, glamorous, impeccable, and singing “Strange Fruit,” the most political ballad in her oeuvre. Eerie and heartbreaking, “Strange Fruit” was first published in 1937 as a poem by Russian-Jewish schoolteacher Abel Meeropol,
How Costume Designer Paolo Nieddu Worked With Prada For “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Few musicians are as iconic as Billie Holiday. So much about Holiday was avant-garde for the time, and as a queer Black woman of power, she ruffled more than a few feathers just by existing. Lee Daniels’ new film The United States vs. Billie Holiday is focused around one specific event in the singer’s life, chronicling her determination to sing the protest ballad “Strange Fruit,” and the consequences of that commitment.
Andra Day Shines in The Official Trailer for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
We’ve been excited about The United States vs. Billie Holiday since we first heard about Lee Daniels’ new movie. Now, with the film officially landing at Hulu and a brand new trailer to parse, we’ve got a much better look at what Daniels and his star, Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day, have in store for us. Day takes on the role of the legendary Billie Holiday, of course, and from what we’ve seen thus far her transformation is astonishing.
The Stage is Set for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Growing up in Baltimore as a young Black boy, one of my fondest memories of my beloved city is Lexington Market. I recall as a young boy walking with my mom past the famous indoor market and down West Lexington Street and seeing this beautiful mural of local black artists. One of the artists included in this mural was the legendary Billie Holiday. I was in awe of her beauty. As I got older, I was introduced to her music,
