Ciera Payton Takes on the Larger-Than-Life Starring Role in Lifetime’s ‘Wendy Williams: The Movie’
Ciera Payton reminds us that fans’ wishes do come true as she stars in Wendy Williams: The Movie, after many people thought she would be the perfect person to play the iconic “Queen of All Media.”
Aired on January 30, this film reimagines specific moments of importance in Wendy Williams’ career as a host and TV persona as well as the personal struggles she faced along the way. She was diagnosed with Graves disease in 2017 which she revealed to her audience as it impacted her physical and mental health. At the same time, she was also battling drug addiction and dealing with the infidelity of her husband.
Wendy Williams is a prolific name in the world of public figures as she has grown from radio DJ, to hosting The Wendy Williams Show. Williams became interested in radio during her time at Northeastern University which she continued following into her first few jobs. She even got fired from one job for going off-script when she was live on air, though the roadblock did not stop her in the persuit.
As she crafted her interview style and her persona, Williams followed after Howard Stern, a leading ‘shock jock’ who called himself, ‘King of All Media.” Her goal was to serve the hard truths to anyone who would call into her show, eventually growing to include celebrities of all backgrounds. Her TV show debuted in 2009 and is still running to this day, with multiple Emmy nominations.
Despite all the troubling events that Williams dealt with, Payton does a phenomenal job carrying that unspeakable pain while also mimicking the ‘shock jock’’s signature swag and confidence. She comes from a variety of BET shows working on multiple Tyler Perry productions as well as Spike Lee with his show She’s Gotta Have It on Netflix.
Payton was repeatedly told by fans she would be a perfect representation of Williams; the production saw many women for the role but when they found Payton, they realized there was only one actress they needed. You can catch Wendy Williams: The Movie on Lifetime.
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