Beyoncé portrays singer Deena Jones in the 2006 musical drama film Dreamgirls.
Directed by Bill Condon, Dreamgirls is adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name. Its story follows a fictional female singing group and draws on the history of Motown-era popular music, including themes of ambition, artistic control, and the music business.
Beyoncé’s character, Deena Jones, becomes the group’s lead singer after the ambitious manager Curtis Taylor Jr. reshapes its sound and image. The cast also includes Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, and Anika Noni Rose.
The character is fictional, so Deena Jones is not a direct portrayal of one real singer. Dreamgirls is often linked with Motown history, but it is not a documentary or an official biography of The Supremes. Beyoncé also recorded several songs for the film’s soundtrack.