It is a lot to live up to. When you take on a story like Alice Walker’s Pulitzer-winning masterpiece, you aren't just making a movie; you're stepping into a cultural lineage. The cast of the color purple 2023 film didn't just have to compete with the 1985 Spielberg classic—they had to translate the high-energy Broadway musical onto the big screen while keeping the grit of the original book intact.
Honestly, it worked. Most of the time, anyway.
The 2023 version, directed by Blitz Bazawule, leans hard into the "musical" aspect, using magical realism to show us what’s happening inside Celie’s head. But a movie like this lives or dies by its ensemble. If the chemistry isn't there, the songs just feel like expensive interruptions. Thankfully, this group brought a raw, soulful energy that occasionally outshines the production itself.
The Powerhouse Trio: Fantasia, Danielle, and Taraji
The heart of the film is the sisterhood between three women who couldn't be more different.
Fantasia Barrino plays Celie. This was her feature film debut, which is wild considering she’s been a household name since American Idol in 2004. She had already played Celie on Broadway, but film is a different beast altogether. You can't play to the back of the house when the camera is two inches from your face. Fantasia’s performance is quiet. It’s observant. She spends much of the movie wearing her trauma like a second skin until that final, explosive moment in "I’m Here."
✨ Don't miss: Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett: Why Fans Are Still Divided Over the Daimyo of Tatooine
Then there’s Danielle Brooks as Sofia.
She was the only one from the cast to nab an Oscar nomination, and frankly, she earned it. Sofia is the "Hell No" woman. She’s the one who refuses to be beaten down by her husband, Harpo, or the systemic racism of the 1930s South. Brooks brings a physicality to the role that is both terrifying and heartbreaking. When Sofia’s spirit is eventually broken by the town’s mayor, the silence in Brooks’ performance is deafening.
Taraji P. Henson stepped into the sequins of Shug Avery.
Shug is the catalyst. She’s the "sultry singer" who teaches Celie that God isn't just a man in the sky, but something found in the beauty of a field of flowers. Henson brings a jagged, bluesy edge to Shug. Some critics argued she didn't quite capture the "worldly-wise" exhaustion of Margaret Avery’s 1985 portrayal, but her chemistry with Fantasia is undeniable. Their "What About Love?" sequence is a genuine highlight, even if the film plays a bit shy with the queer themes from Walker’s novel.
A New Kind of Mister
Colman Domingo had the hardest job in the building.
Playing Albert "Mister" Johnson means playing a monster. In the 1985 film, Danny Glover’s Mister was almost a caricature of villainy. Domingo, however, tries to find the "why." He plays Mister as a man who is himself a product of a cycle of abuse, a failed musician who takes his frustrations out on the woman he bought from her father.
It’s a polarizing take. Some viewers felt it humanized an abuser too much. Others felt it made the final redemption arc actually make sense.
🔗 Read more: Why Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Actors Still Define the Modern Spy Thriller
The Supporting Players Who Stole the Show
- Corey Hawkins (Harpo): He provides the "soft" male energy that balances out Mister’s toxicity. His "Workin’" number is one of the most infectious sequences in the movie.
- Halle Bailey (Young Nettie): Fresh off The Little Mermaid, Bailey brings a literal angelic quality to the early scenes. Her bond with Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (Young Celie) sets the emotional stakes for the entire two-hour journey.
- H.E.R. (Squeak): Making her acting debut, the Grammy winner plays Mary "Squeak" Agnes. She’s often the comic relief, but she gets her moment of empowerment that feels earned.
- Ciara: Showing up as the older version of Nettie, her appearance provides a late-film emotional wallop that ties the whole "separation" plotline together.
Why the cast of the color purple 2023 film felt different
There was a lot of noise behind the scenes. Taraji P. Henson was very vocal during the press tour about the lack of resources for the cast—mentioning things like having to drive themselves to set or not having trailers that met industry standards for a production of this scale ($90–100 million budget).
This context matters.
It adds a layer of irony to a film about Black women demanding respect when the actors themselves were fighting for basic amenities. When you watch the ensemble together, you can see a "we’re in this together" energy. There’s a scene where they’re all sitting around a long table for a feast at the end; that joy isn't just acting. It’s the relief of a group that survived a grueling shoot to tell a story that still feels painfully relevant.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2023 Version
A lot of people go into this expecting a remake of the Whoopi Goldberg movie. It isn't that. It’s an adaptation of the musical.
💡 You might also like: The Entire History of You: What Most People Get Wrong About the Grain
That means the tone is broader. It’s more colorful. If you hate people breaking into song during a funeral or a fight, you’re going to struggle. But if you look at the cast of the color purple 2023 film as a group of vocal powerhouses, the movie becomes a masterclass in musical storytelling.
The film does "water down" some of the darker elements of the book. The incest and the explicit nature of Celie and Shug’s relationship are softened. But the actors push back against that sanitization. Fantasia’s eyes tell the story that the script sometimes skips over.
How to actually appreciate the 2023 performances
If you really want to see the brilliance of this cast, don't just watch the big numbers. Watch the transitions.
- Focus on the eyes: In the scene where Celie is shaving Mister, look at the micro-expressions on Fantasia’s face. She’s debating murder and survival in a single blink.
- Listen to the breathing: During "Hell No!", Danielle Brooks isn't just singing; she’s breathing through the anger.
- Watch the background: In the juke joint scenes, Taraji P. Henson is "on" even when she isn't the focus. She inhabits the space like a woman who knows she owns the room.
The cast of the color purple 2023 film proved that this story isn't a museum piece. It’s a living, breathing narrative that changes based on who is telling it. While it might not replace the 1985 version in the hearts of purists, it stands alone as a vibrant, necessary explosion of talent.
If you haven't seen it yet, go for the performances. Stay for the way Danielle Brooks says "Hell No." It’s a reminder that some stories are worth telling again and again, as long as you have the right voices to sing them.
The next time you're browsing streaming services, pay close attention to the credits. Many of these actors, particularly Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and Corey Hawkins, are currently leading some of the most interesting projects in Hollywood, largely thanks to the groundwork they laid in this ensemble.