Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin

Forest Whitaker as C. L. Franklin

Marlon Wayans as Ted White

Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin

Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington

Marc Maron as Jerry Wexler

Tituss Burgess as Reverend Dr. James Cleveland

Saycon Sengbloh as Erma Franklin

Hailey Kilgore as Carolyn Franklin

Tate Donovan as John Hammond

Skye Dakota Turner as Aretha Franklin (young)

Heather Headley as Clara Ward

Leroy McClain as Cecil Franklin

Lodric D. Collins as Smokey Robinson

Brenda Nicole Moorer as Brenda Franklin

Brandon Gilpin as Teenager

Tangela Large as Grieving Mother

Albert Jones as Ken Cunningham

Myk Watford as Rick Hall

Gilbert Glenn Brown as Martin Luther King Jr.

Kimberly Scott as Mama Franklin

Nevaeh Moore as Young Carolyn

Victoria Paige Watkins as Teen #2

Christopher Daniel as Edward

Zach Strum as David Hood