Nicki Minaj Finalizes Cast For TV Series
Today ABC Family confirmed the cast for Nicki Minaj's scripted comedy, Nicki. The 33 year old rapstress hand picked the main cast, including the title character Nicki who will be played by Ariana Neal (Fruitvale Station, Get Hard). According to Minaj, "[she] literally cried watching [Ariana's] audition. [She] demanded to meet her. [Nicki] sat in a room with her teaching her how to rap by doing a beat on the table and forcing her to stay on beat. The character is inspired by Nicki Minaj's early years before the fame. Others joining the cast include: Selita Ebanks (Victoria Secret, Real Husbands of Hollywood) as Nicki's mother Grace, Wesley Jonathan as Nicki and Jaylen's father Vincent (The Soul Man, Roll Bounce), McCarrie McCausland (The Originals, Army Wives) as Nicki's older brother Jaylen, and Whoopi Goldberg will guest star as Miss Martha, the family neighbor. Minaj is executive producer and will also make appearances on the show. The show does not have a set date yet but, it will air after ABC Family rebrands and renames itself to Freeform in January.