Dionne Warwick is gushing over Teyana Taylor, who is set to portray the music icon in an upcoming biopic.
On Monday, March 23, Warwick stopped by TODAY to chat about her new album, “DWuets,” which will be her last. Over the past few weeks, the legendary singer has been sharing details about the record on social media, including that Diane Warren wrote all the tracks and that it features duets with Cynthia Erivo and Kehlani.
While on TODAY, Warwick spoke to Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer and Craig Melvin about her new single, “Ocean in the Desert” with Erivo, before talking about another project she has in the works: a biopic.
Al mentioned that the “I Say a Little Prayer for You” singer “hand-picked” Taylor to play her in the movie.
The singer recalled that her son Damon Elliott sent her a photograph of the “One Battle After Another” star side-by-side with a throwback picture of Warwick.
“I said, ‘Oh my God, it’s not me?’ I thought ‘I’m going to talk to my daddy about this one. Wait a minute,’” Warwick joked.
“Then I met her,” she added. “She’s such a personable young lady and very talented. She was very excited about even being thought of to do it.”
The TODAY co-hosts then showed Warwick a clip of Taylor’s sit-down with Craig on TODAY in January where she discussed the role and how she plans to pull it off. At the time, Craig asked if Taylor intends to sing in the film.
“Yeah, but hopefully I’m lip-syncing. Because, baby, Dionne Warwick, that’s a whole different level of voice. I got pipes but she’s got pipes,” Taylor responded.
(Later in that interview, Taylor predicted she might go the same route as Angela Bassett in “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and mouth along to Warwick’s recorded vocals.)
Warwick and the co-hosts laughed before the icon said she would support Taylor lip-syncing.
“If that’s what she wants to do,” Warwick said in between giggles. “She is so cute. That’s all I can think of … and she says what she means.”
“That really surprised me,” she added. “I thought, ‘Oh God, she is me.’”
Warwick frequently compliments Taylor on social media, recently applauding the actor on X after she earned her first Oscar nomination at the 98th Academy Awards. “So proud of my baby @TEYANATAYLOR on so many levels,” she wrote.
“That’s my girl,” she said, in part. “You go dear!!!”
Taylor has been attached to the Warwick movie for years. She first mentioned they were in the “building process” for the film in April 2023.
During Taylor’s TODAY interview in January 2026, she explained why the film has been in development for years.
“That is my lady. She’s so amazing,” Taylor told Craig. “I’m just so happy to make her proud all while also just being very protective of her, making sure we have the perfect story. She has so much career … I know it’s taken a little while but we just want it to be perfect. And I want it to be perfect for her.”
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