Lifetime announced on Friday, July 18 that they have found their new Aaliyah actress. Disney star Zendaya Coleman was slated for the role but abruptly quit in June blaming her exit on production issues. On Twitter the network revealed that actress Alexandra Shipp had been chosen to play the "Rock the Boat" singer in the biopic.
"I'm excited to exec produce the Aaliyah @lifetime movie w/DebraMChase," talk show host Wendy Williams wrote on Twitter. "Prod starts later this month and @AlexShipp will play Aaliyah."
The TV movie, titled "Aaliyah: Princess of R&B," is based on the biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman by journalist Christopher Farley. The film will tell Aaliyah's life story from her rising career as a singer to her untimely death in a plane crash in 2001. Aaliyah was 22 at the time of her death.
"Like Aaliyah, Alex is a triple threat - a wonderful, strong actress; a very talented singer; and a great dancer. She also grew up idolizing Aaliyah and possesses a similar star quality. We are thrilled to have Alex on board," director Debra Chase told Buzzfeed.
So who exactly is Alexandra Shipp? HNGN found four interesting facts about the actress.
1. Shipp is 23-years-old and celebrated her birthday on July 16 with family and friends, a few days before Lifetime made the announcement.
2. She is best known for her role on the Nickelodeon series "House of Anubis." Shipp also played Valentina in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" and guest starred on shows like "Awkward," "Switched at Birth," "Victorious" and "Ray Donovan."
3. According to her IMDb page, she will also be starring in "Drumline 2" as Dani.
4. Shipp is also interested in singing and often covers songs on YouTube. Check out some of her videos below.
What do you think of Alexandra Shipp as Aaliyah in the Lifetime movie? Share your thoughts in the comments!
