Beyoncé portrayed Deena Jones in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, alongside Jennifer Hudson.
Dreamgirls is a musical drama film directed by Bill Condon and adapted from the stage musical of the same name. Beyoncé played Deena Jones, a member of the fictional singing group the Dreams. The story follows the group’s rise in the music industry and explores ambition, commercial success, creative control, and personal relationships.
Jennifer Hudson played Effie White, the group’s original lead singer, and received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. Jamie Foxx played Curtis Taylor Jr., while Eddie Murphy portrayed James “Thunder” Early.
Dreamgirls is loosely inspired by the history of Motown and acts such as the Supremes, but its characters and plot are fictionalized. Beyoncé’s role as Deena differs from her role as Etta James in Cadillac Records, another music-related film released in 2008.