After months of teasing, TV One will finally premiere The Bobby DeBarge Story on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.
The film examines the tumultuous life of the former lead singer of Switch, highlighting his rough childhood, his rise to stardom, his love life, his struggle with substance abuse and much more.
Directed by Russ Parr, the film’s stars include Roshon Fegan (Greenleaf, Shake It Up) with the lead role as Bobby DeBarge, Tyra Ferrell (Boyz in the Hood, White Men Can’t Jump) as Etterlene DeBarge, Blue Kimble (Twisted Mines) as Tommy DeBarge, Adrian Marcel as James DeBarge and Lloyd as Gregory Williams.
During a screening in the Washington, D.C. metro area, Parr revealed that the biopic was filmed in just 13 days. With a tight production schedule, preparation was definitely key.
Fegan spoke to Rated R&B about how he prepared for his first lead role. “I had to do a lot of prepping because [Bobby DeBarge] is an actual person,” he said. “He has family and friends who are still here. So, I had to do a lot more prep and not just wing it.”
He continued, “I did a lot of research on the internet and beyond that, I talked to people who actually knew him.”
With Fegan also being a musical artist, it was no surprise that he instantly felt a connection to DeBarge. “I connected with him through the music,” he told Rated R&B. “Him having the same passion and love for music as I do really helped me understand why he did a lot of things he did.”
Lloyd, who is a freshman to acting on the silver screen, relied on “a little bit of research and a lot of faith and letting go” when preparing for his role. As an artist, he also connected to his character on a musical level.
“I was inspired because he played multiple instruments, which is a goal of mine,” he revealed. “I would love to be like Greg Williams. They called the band Switch because they switched instruments on the stage. Nobody does that anymore.”
