Sturgill Simpson to Appear in Upcoming Film “Queen & Slim”
Sturgill Simpson’s incursion into the acting world continues after it was recently revealed he will be part of an upcoming film called “Queen & Slim.” Starring Daniel Kaluuya as “Slim” and Jodie Turner-Smith as “Queen,” the film was first announced in July of 2018 as a independent romance drama written by Lena Waithe (“Master of None” and “The Chi”), and directed by Melina Matsoukas, known for directing videos for Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Rhiannon among others.
The film is being distributed by Universal, and shooting occurred in January in Cleveland, including on St. Clair Ave. between Addison and E. 71st on Cleveland’s east side early last week. Streets were closed down for the filming, and cast and crew had to brave the recent polar vortex in the area to finish up the shoot. Sturgill Simpson has been named as part of the primary cast, though his specific role has yet to be revealed. Part of the cast does include a “singer-songwriter,” so perhaps this is the role Simpson will fulfill.
“Queen & Slim” is said to be about a couple that goes on a first date, and after being pulled over for a traffic stop, the situation turns deadly. The film is currently scheduled to be released on November 27th, 2019.
This is the second major acting role for Simpson. He also starred in the CBS All Access film “One Dollar.” The on-demand series is a mystery set in a small rust belt town in post-recession America, where a one-dollar bill changing hands connects a group of characters involved in a multiple murder. It debuted via CBS All Access on August 30th, 2018. Sturgill Simpson portrayed Ken Fry, who was let go from the local steel mill and makes his living as a small-time fence, holding a never-ending yard sale with items stolen from front yards and porches.
Simpson has also made numerous appearances on television, including in sketches with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, and has appeared twice on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. He also played a small role in the independent movie Orca Park from 2011, and has made other cameos.
“Well, this is my mid-life crisis,” Sturgill Simpson sarcastically told late night host Seth Myers in September of 2018 while promoting his “One Dollar” role. Simpson has also said in numerous interviews that his latest record is finished, and hinted that it could be a double album. Don’t be surprised to hear something about new Sturgill Simpson music in the coming weeks.
February 6, 2019 @ 9:42 am
Says more about me than them probably, but I haven’t heard of any of the people involved with the film except Sturgill.
February 6, 2019 @ 11:09 am
I’m not familiar with writer, director, or female lead, but Daniel Kaluuya I like. I think he’s better known in the UK, but American audiences would likely recognize him as the lead role in “Get Out” and supporting roles in “Sicario” and “Black Panther”.
February 6, 2019 @ 9:49 am
What a sad sack this guy is. Somebody micro-dose his morning chai with ketamine, stat.
“a independent romance drama written by Lena Waithe (“Master of None” and “The Chi”), and directed by Melina Matsoukas, known for directing videos for Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Rhiannon among others”
Sounds like a train wreck of exploding unicorn glitter.
Couldn’t “Old Sturgill”(TM) get with Oxford American and star in a film adaptation of a Barry Hannah novel? He could play Kerouac in a biopic, or (duh) Waylon. If he wants range, cast him as a hard-boiled detective for a James Lee Burke tv miniseries. And if he ever divorces his wife, he’d make a pretty entertaining Bachelor.
I’d watch it. For a couple minutes.
February 6, 2019 @ 11:02 am
What about it sounds like a trainwreck?
February 6, 2019 @ 2:33 pm
Here’s my theory. Sturgill was the Angry Young Man of country music. The psychedelia, the Waylon, the rock, the mouth, and all the rest of it made it seem like he was going to carry a flag for something like Steinbeck Drops Acid and Takes On Nashville. Instead, he meets Childers (a superior writer and singer), settles down with the kids, and takes up an acting career in the (noble) mission of providing for his family. I hope it works out for him. Clint Eastwood is getting old. The world could use more red pill actors. But this news sounds a little desperate and out of line with what the man represents. Thus, “trainwreck of exploding unicorn glitter.” In short, I expect the thing to be a minor pop bubble. I hope for the sake of his family that I’m wrong. I wish Sturgill would commit more to his own craft. Even outlaws do that.
February 6, 2019 @ 11:38 am
If you’re dinging the production for having a music video director attached, do some homework. Several music video directors have become competent (and even award-winning) film directors: Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), Anton Corbijn (The American), David Fincher (Fight Club), Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo), Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Under the Skin), Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).
Just because you haven’t heard of someone making or starring in a film, it doesn’t mean it’s a train wreck. Waithe, Kaluuya, and Turner-Smith all have solid indie resumes.
February 6, 2019 @ 2:36 pm
Good heavens Betsy, I’m just some schmoe from the corn fields commenting on a blog. I don’t do music video film director homework. And I hope you don’t mind me saying I’d rather see results than a resume. Good luck to all involved, all things considered.
February 6, 2019 @ 3:22 pm
Obviously the internet doesn’t have any rules against uninformed opinions. If so, it would be a desolate wasteland…
February 6, 2019 @ 6:47 pm
Travis I love you like a brother, but perhaps we could regard bog comments as “public reactions” and not so not subject to the same standards of scrutiny as genuine peer review, as in the Noble Universities of Yore.
February 6, 2019 @ 10:20 am
Lena Waithe is the real deal. She won an Emmy for her writing on “Master of None.” I am for one excited to see this, and I hope that other people give it a shot.
February 6, 2019 @ 6:55 pm
I’m going to be a hayseed prick and continue to ask “who?” An Emmy, for what? You folks are not grilling that awards like that are cultural dinosaurs. They are insider preening fests, like wolves licking each other in the comfort of their own dens. No one cares about them as arbiters of value or quality! Unless of course the spectacle of self-grooming has its own absurdist entertainment value. Like Duchamp’s toilet bowl. Which got old, fast. Is this where media wants to be? Really? You guys are way behind the eight ball, and you don’t even seem to know it. Ride it as long as you can, because you’ll soon be gone.
February 6, 2019 @ 9:25 pm
She won an Emmy for her writing on the show “Master of None”. It’s right there in AKA’s comment, bud.
February 7, 2019 @ 2:28 pm
For someone who’s clearly intelligent, you’re awfully stupid, aren’t ya?
February 6, 2019 @ 10:31 am
Cool. He was great in One Dollar and Orca Park, for that matter, which was an odd little film but good in it’s way. Sturgill was the best thing in it.
February 6, 2019 @ 11:26 am
Pretty sure his next album is gonna be less “Long White Line” and more “Brace for Impact (Live A Little).” And that’s fine, I’m sure it’ll be good either way, and if he never releases another country album he’s left his impact with “Metamodern.” It inspired Stapleton’s “Traveller,” and whatever hole Sturgill may leave has been filled in by Cody Jinks, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, etc. As much as I enjoy his music, Sturgill was never the perfect poster boy for saving country music anyways. No reason we should expect him to follow exactly what we want for him in his musical endeavors.
February 6, 2019 @ 12:45 pm
Sturg is a certified beauty.
February 6, 2019 @ 1:41 pm
And this is related to country music how?
February 6, 2019 @ 3:10 pm
Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.
Enjoy the ride my son, enjoy it.
February 6, 2019 @ 5:55 pm
It isn’t. But I have to admit, when it comes to Sturg, I LOOK FORWARD to the ride.
February 6, 2019 @ 6:13 pm
As do I.
February 6, 2019 @ 1:42 pm
And this is related to country music how?
February 6, 2019 @ 6:57 pm
Because Trig is invested in Old Sturgill’s historical significance.
February 7, 2019 @ 11:40 am
And he has a crush on him.
February 7, 2019 @ 12:46 pm
What’s wrong with having a crush on a certified Beauty like SS?
February 7, 2019 @ 2:26 pm
It creates a journalistic bias.
February 7, 2019 @ 4:35 pm
Journalistic bias? lol
It’s a blog about a sliver of pop culture, not about the latest Supreme Court case.
Also happens to be where I came when Sturgill first popped onto my radar. And has led to my discovery of a shit-ton of other independent artists.
February 6, 2019 @ 7:42 pm
This site can’t bow low enough to the greatness that is Sturgill,., even when he farts in it’s general direction.
February 7, 2019 @ 12:50 pm
Maybe he could change it up and write an article about Cody Jinks’ latest tattoo…
February 6, 2019 @ 7:50 pm
Unless he appears in a damn country music album…so what?
February 7, 2019 @ 12:53 pm
Avoiding content which you deem unimportant is quite simple.
Step 1: Don’t click on it
The end.
February 7, 2019 @ 3:51 pm
Hi Sturgill!
February 7, 2019 @ 4:26 pm
Hi! I’m taking a break from kicking ass in my personal life and career to talk to anonymous internet haters that wish they could achieve 1/10th of what I have.
February 6, 2019 @ 8:50 pm
I’m betting he plays the cop that gets shot. Just a guess, but casting calls were out for doubles for Sturgill and the 2 lead characters in the movie when they were shooting in Cleveland.
And don’t forget about the zombie role in the upcoming The Dead Don’t Die!
February 7, 2019 @ 3:15 am
I’m guessing “Rhiannon” is a typo, and should say “Rihanna”, as I don’t suppose he did the video for the Fleetwood Mac song of that name.
…Looking at his wiki page he also did ones for Snoop, Whitney Houston, Gaga, Christina Aguilera and quite a few others I’ve actually heard of, too. Interesting. Leona Lewis and Kylie, and all. Blimey.
February 7, 2019 @ 3:29 am
Singer-songwritin’ and pitcher-show actin’ seemed to work out for Kris Kristofferson, to whom I am NOT comparing Ol’ Sturg, just sayin’…
February 7, 2019 @ 6:31 am
Can we hope that this means he won’t make any more music?
February 7, 2019 @ 12:56 pm
Or maybe….just maybe, he can keep making his music and you can simply ignore it if you don’t like it.
That shouldn’t be too difficult.
February 7, 2019 @ 12:50 pm
I wasn’t targeting my comment to you, Corncaster. I was just trying to put a positive comment out there.
February 7, 2019 @ 12:50 pm
This was meant to go up to Corncaster’s reply to my earlier comment.
February 7, 2019 @ 2:22 pm
I like Sturgill’s music. His line-up with Miller, Black, and Joamets was solid. I just don’t think he wrote anything genius, and I think he still needs coaching on how to use a mic. I’m not here to tell him or anyone else how to run a life. I’m just being an irritating old muckraker from some no-name barn out in the middle of nowhere. It’s a free country, I hope.
February 7, 2019 @ 4:31 pm
Lotta folks drinking that haterade around here…
February 7, 2019 @ 6:20 pm
Horsecrap. Sturgill is like Eric Church: he carries this big chip on his shoulder. If he’d write more, fine. But he careens around, tries this and that, and now he’s an actor.
He’s a surfer dude.
February 8, 2019 @ 1:07 pm
“If he’d write more”. Jesus H. Talk about the “I want it noooow!” generation. The guy put out 3 great albums in about a 3 year stretch. And he’s smack dab in the thick of raising a growing family. And, he is apparently preparing the release of a double album. How much output do you want out of your artists…..an album a year?
February 8, 2019 @ 2:50 pm
No, I mean if he had more albums under his belt to justify his attitude. He rode into town, had this big voice, eventually got a nice PR burst (“he’s the Future of Country Music! omg!”), and put out a couple good but not great records. He got invited on Letterman. He’s played to big audiences. Plenty of critics are in his corner. And yet he still seems pissed off.
Dude …
is all I’m saying. Plus, he needs to stay on the mic.
February 9, 2019 @ 12:53 pm
Damn, tough crowd. How much better than high top mountain does an album have to be to achieve better than just “good”?
February 9, 2019 @ 1:49 pm
Seriously. It’s hip to be contrarian these days.
February 8, 2019 @ 9:18 am
Okay, now I’m intrigued by Archibald Meatpants. 2019 is lit!