Courtney B. Vance Joins Nat Geo's 'Genius' | Casting
Courtney B. Vance has joined Cynthia Erivo in the third season of National Geographic's anthology series, Genius: Aretha. The first two seasons of Genius were about Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein. Vance is set to portray Aretha's father, C.L. Franklin. C.L. Franklin is described as "A star in his own right, C.L.’s legendary sermons were published and sold in record stores and broadcast on a weekly radio show, and he booked national ministry tours and public appearances. C.L. had a close but fraught relationship with his daughter and supported her throughout her career, most notably when he encouraged her transition from singing gospel to more popular genres." On his casting Vance stated : “It’s an honor to join the Genius: Aretha team, and to bring to life the magnificent story of the Queen of Soul, an amazing woman who my wife, Angela, and I loved dearly. Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin, had a profound impact on her trajectory from a girl in a
