Tyrese Gibson to Portray R&B Singer Teddy Pendergrass in Upcoming Biopic

Tyrese Gibson will be taking on R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass in an upcoming biopic!

The 40-year-old actor and singer has signed on to play the singer in the Warner Bros. film with Little Marvin writing the screenplay and Donald De Line, Lee Daniels, and Tyrese producing. Teddy‘s widow Joan Pendergrass, is on board as an executive producer.

“I am honored to take this journey… This is the role that I feel I was born to play,” Tyrese said in a statement. “Teddy Pendergrass embraced me and before he passed, put the responsibility on my shoulders to tell his story. Being here in this time and in this space and moment with Lee Daniels, Donald De Line, Little Marvin, and Warner Bros. is an answered prayer. Teddy, I just hope we make you, your wife and family proud… Here we go!”

Teddy rose to fame in the early 70s as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes before skyrocketing to stardom as a solo artist over the next two decades. Teddy passed away in 2010 from respiratory failure at the age of 59.

The film doesn’t have a title, director, or release date yet.