K.T Simpson
Robert Beltran, known as Chakotay in the Star Trek Voyager franchise, is joining the cast of Eartha Kitt C’est Si Bon, a biopic on the legendary American singer, actress, comedian, dancer and activist known for her highly distinctive singing style.
Beltran, also known for his roles in 1982 black comedy film Eating Raoul and Melrose Place, will play Orson Wells, who famously pronounced Eartha Kitt to be “the most exciting woman in the world.”
The film will release in May of next year.
Welles was one of the key figures in the formation of Eartha Kitt’s professional career. Eartha left the Katherine Dunham dancers in 1950, for a solo career which began as the resident chanteuse at Le Carroll’s in Paris. Le Carroll’s was run by Frede Baule, a paramour of Marlene Dietrich. Orson Welles was so impressed with Eartha Kitt’s talent that he cast her in the role of Helen of Troy in his adaptation of Goethe’s Faust, replacing Suzanne Cloutier, who already had the role. The Welles production also included theater impresario Micheal Mac Liammoir and music by a young Billy Strayhorn. It toured cities in France and Germany.
“Robert Beltran is a very fine actor. He has the rare personal strength and powerful aura that was Orson Welles,” says Director Shadow Dragu-Mihai, “I have worked with him in the past and it is an honor that he has agreed to join our cast on Eartha Kitt C’est Si Bon.”
Beltran joins Kenan‘s Dani Lane, who plays Eartha Mae, the young Eartha Kitt. The role of Eartha Kitt has yet to be cast.
