I think Uzo Aduba from, "Orange Is The New Black" would have been a good choice to play Nina Simone as well. She favors her in the looks department, plus she can act and sing. Even Indian Arie herself would have been a good choice. But, she wasn't confident in her acting abilities, so she declined. I can respect that. Nina was a very talented woman. Her story would have been a great one to be told. But, I feel all of the controversy is overshadowing her story. Therefore, it may not do so well at the box office.