IT’S HARD TO turn down Oprah Winfrey.
But that’s exactly what Fantasia Barrino did when the original “Color Purple” star approached her in 2021 to play Celie, an abused and un-educated Southern Black woman at the turn of the 20th century, in a big-screen musical reimagining of the classic film and Alice Walker’s novel.
Sixteen years ago, when she was in her early 20s, Barrino had played the role on Broadway, but it had been a traumatic rather than triumphant experience. “My life was in shambles,” Barrino, now 39, says, explaining how draining it was to portray Celie’s harrowing journey for eight shows a week. “I carried her every day, all day, and I didn’t like that feeling.”
When her run ended nine months later, she swore she’d never play…
