Tika Sumpter Dishes on Her Role In ‘Sparkle,’ Whitney Houston and Her Abs

Tika Sumpter doesn’t follow the mold. The singer/actress/model may be easy on the eyes but she has the talent to shock and awe. In her latest endeavor, Sumpter plays the headstrong pre-med student who treats performing as her side hustle in the 1960s musical flick Sparkle.

PMG caught up with the multidimensional starlet to talk her real-life singing family, working with Whitney Houston and maintaining her killer physique.

When you landed a spot in the cast of Sparkle, what was your initial reaction?
TIKA SUMPTER: I read the script at first and I kept saying I want this part, I wanna be a part of this movie. I put myself on tape and then I had to go to L.A. to meet the producers and all that. When they told me I got it, I was floored. I literally laid on the floor and cried. When you hear that one of your favorite artists is gonna be in the film, you’re like, What?! Whitney Houston’s gonna play my mom?! So many people auditioned for this film for every part, so I was grateful that I worked hard for it and they gave it to me.

What about the script attracted you the most?
It’s just well thought-out. I heard in the original that [my character] Dee [Dolores], she wasn’t really relevant in it at first, so with this, I felt like I played a part where she was and she had a voice. She was strong and independent and thinks she knows everything but also loves her family and would do and say anything for them. She’s kind of a protector, and I love that about her and her strength. She doesn’t really care what people think. She’s like, ‘Look, I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do even if you don’t like it.’