What was the title of Beyoncé’s 2008 film role as singer Etta James?

Beyoncé played singer Etta James in the 2008 film Cadillac Records.

Cadillac Records, written and directed by Darnell Martin, dramatizes the rise of Chess Records and several musicians connected with the label. Beyoncé portrayed Etta James, while Adrien Brody played record executive Leonard Chess. The film also features Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters and Columbus Short as Little Walter.

The movie is a fictionalized historical drama rather than a documentary. It compresses timelines and reshapes events for dramatic storytelling, so scenes should not be treated as a complete biography of Chess Records or James. Beyoncé’s performance nevertheless brought renewed attention to James’s music.

For the film, Beyoncé recorded versions of several songs associated with Etta James, including “At Last.” She donated her salary from the film to charity, according to contemporary reports. Cadillac Records is sometimes confused with Dreamgirls, Beyoncé’s other major music-related film role; in Dreamgirls, she played the fictional singer Deena Jones.