The first picture of YaYa DaCosta as Whitney Houston for the upcoming Lifetime biopic is a spitting image of the late singer’s 1987 Whitney album cover.
Now, Lifetime has released a new photo featuring the actor who will be playing Bobby Brown. Arlen Escarpeta, 33, is featured alongside DaCosta, sporting the classic Bobby high-top fade. Fans are already debating whether or not Escarpeta resembles Brown. “Bad choice for Bobby,” wrote one reader on ESSENCE’s Facebook page. “You don’t have to look exactly like someone to portray them,” countered another.
This isn’t the first screen appearance for Belize-born Escarpeta. He’s also been featured on Cold Case, The Shield, and Halle Berry’s new series Extant.
What do you think? Does Escarpeta have to resemble Brown?