The long-awaited Marvin Gaye biopic "Sexual Healing" has got yet another leading man, with "Law and Order" actor Jesse L. Martin now replacing Lenny Kravitz.
"Sexual Healing" has gone through several switch-ups over the years, and it's attracted plenty of controversy from the Gaye estate. Martin, who starred in the original Broadway production of "Rent" and its film adaptation, was slated to star as Gaye at one point, alongside James Gandolfini (the famous HBO mobster was also producing the flick.) Somehow, that iteration of "Healing" fell by the wayside, later to be picked up by director Julien Temple.
Lenny Kravitz was cast as the golden-throated singer back in 2012, but then Marvin Gaye III got involved. Gaye's son, a longtime friend of Kravitz, made a personal appeal to the "Hunger Games" actor to ditch the role because the story was about the tragic end years of Gaye's life. His son said, "The producers and directors of this film are very wrong and shameful ... [They're] trying to do a film about a low period in his life. They don't even know the whole story."
Kravitz never officially commented, so we'll never know if Gaye's appeal changed his mind or if he's simply too busy with "Catching Fire" these days.
The script for "Sexual Healing" focuses on Gaye's retreat to Europe with friend and music promoter Freddy Cousaert. There, Gaye straightened his life out, left his Motown label, and released his famous album "Midnight Love," whose first single was, you guessed it, "Sexual Healing." Brendan Gleeson is now attached to play Cousaert.
Now that the stars are all lined up and the music rights are a go, filming will begin later this month.
[via Deadline]
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