Beyoncé played Deena Jones in the 2006 musical film Dreamgirls.
Dreamgirls is loosely inspired by the rise of Motown and the Supremes, although its characters and plot are fictionalized. Deena Jones is a member of the singing trio the Dreams. The story follows the group’s transformation from performers in a talent contest into a commercially successful act managed by Curtis Taylor Jr.
Jennifer Hudson played Effie White, Jamie Foxx played Curtis Taylor Jr., and Anika Noni Rose played Lorell Robinson. Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, while Beyoncé received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture—Comedy or Musical.
Beyoncé also contributed songs to the film’s soundtrack, including “Listen,” which became one of her notable movie-associated recordings. Deena Jones is sometimes mistaken for Effie White because Effie receives much of the film’s emotional focus, but Deena is the character Beyoncé portrays.