Digital HD Year 2015 Video Release 2015-09-01 Studio HBO Home Entertainment Genre Drama MPAA Rating Not Rated Color Color Animated Live-Action Full Synopsis Oscar R nominee Queen Latifah Chicago stars as legendary blues singer Bessie Smith in this HBO Films presentation. Also starring Michael Kenneth Williams 12 Years a Slave and Oscar R winner Mo'Nique Precious , Bessie focuses on the transformation of a struggling young singer into The Empress of the Blues, one of the most successful and influential recording artists of the 1920s. Capturing Bessie Smith's professional and personal highs and lows, the film paints a portrait of a tenacious spirit who, despite her demons, became a legend. Director Dee Rees Cast Dee Rees; Queen Latifah; Michael Kenneth Williams; Mo'Nique; Khandi Alexander; Tika Sumpter; Bryan Greenberg; Mike Epps; Oliver Platt; Tory Kittles; Charles S. Dutton