Which Beyoncé film features her as jazz singer Etta James?

Cadillac Records features Beyoncé as jazz and blues singer Etta James.

Released in 2008, Cadillac Records is a musical biographical drama about Chess Records and several artists associated with the label. Beyoncé portrays Etta James, whose songs included “At Last,” “I’d Rather Go Blind,” and “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.” Beyoncé recorded several James songs for the film’s soundtrack and performed “At Last” at the 2009 inauguration celebration for President Barack Obama.

The movie also stars Adrien Brody as record executive Leonard Chess, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, and Columbus Short as Little Walter. Its story dramatizes the label’s history and relationships, so some scenes are shaped for narrative effect rather than presented as a strict documentary record.

Cadillac Records is often confused with Dreamgirls, the earlier film in which Beyoncé played Deena Jones, a fictional singer inspired partly by Diana Ross. Etta James was a real performer, while Deena Jones is a fictional character.