Recently, FX has carved out a pleasant niche for itself. The television network has brought us acclaimed dramas about larger-than-life people in show business and those on the fringes of it. Just take one look at its roster of shows: Pose, The People v. O.J. Simpson, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Feud and Fosse/Verdon.
A couple of months ago, fashion icon Grace Jones celebrated her 71st birthday. With the iconic multihyphenate fresh on our minds, here is our take on what an FX drama about the personal and professional life of Grace Jones would look like:
Plot: Spanning from the 1970s and 1980s, Grace will document the groundbreaking supermodel’s transition from the runway to the recording booth. With the disco scene in New York City kicking into high gear, Jones makes the prolific dance club Studio 54 her own personal runway. With pop culture dominance just one stop away, Jones associates herself with an eclectic set of characters vital to her legacy: the musical duo Sly & Robbie, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. With her signature androgynous features, Jones overcomes discrimination, a traumatic family upbringing and a dysfunctional relationship with creative partner-turned -romantic partner Jean-Paul Goude to become a powerhouse on both the dance floor and the cutting room floor of the fashion world.
Stars: Jodie Turner-Smith as Grace Jones
Queen and Slim star Jodie Turner-Smith leads the cast as the incomparable Grace Jones. Taking the fashion world by storm with her bold, androgynous appearance in the early 1970s, the Jamaican supermodel sets her sights on another conquest: the club scene. As the turbulent ’70s gives way to the excess of the ’80s, Grace parlays her prolific stint on runways across the globe into a successful dance club artist, paving the way for the likes of Madonna, Annie Lennox, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
Cillian Murphy as Jean Paul-Goude
Cillian Murphy, known for his work in 28 Days Later and The Dark Knight Trilogy joins the cast as Jean Paul-Goude. With Grace as his muse, the world-renowned French illustrator, photographer, and graphic designer works with the newly minted disco diva in defining visuals that would become associated with the 1970s and 1980s. As the 70s gives way to the 80s, the relationship between Jones and Goude turns from professional to personal, becoming a powder keg of art, ambition, dysfunction and occasionally, violence.
Winston Duke and Brian Tyree Henry as Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.
Yale School of Drama alums Winston Duke and Brian Tyree Henry round out the cast in their respective roles as Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. Looking to broaden her horizons from a disco dance diva, Grace sets her sights on an entirely different musical genre: an eclectic combination of new wave and reggae that serve as clever nods to her cultural standing as an ’80s icon and her Jamaican roots. As the musical duo, Sly & Robbie, these musicians help patent this distinctive sound. The end result would be her 1981 album, Nightclubbing, which would cement her status as a pop icon.
What do you think of the idea? Let us know in the comments below!
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Photos: Getty Images
