Beyoncé’s character Deena Jones in the 2006 film Dreamgirls is based primarily on Diana Ross.
Dreamgirls is a film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen. Beyoncé plays Deena Jones, who becomes the lead singer of the fictional group the Dreams after Curtis Taylor Jr. reshapes the trio’s career. The character’s rise from group member to solo star parallels elements of Diana Ross’s transition from the Supremes to a solo career.
The story is fictional rather than a direct biography, and the Dreams are not literally the Supremes. Still, the musical draws on the history of Motown, girl groups, racial barriers, and the music industry’s commercial pressures. Jennifer Hudson plays Effie White, Eddie Murphy plays James “Thunder” Early, and Jamie Foxx plays Curtis Taylor Jr. Deena Jones should therefore not be labeled a direct depiction of Diana Ross; she is a fictional character strongly influenced by Ross and by the broader Motown era.