Darius McCrary is set to take on the Godfather of Soul. The Young and the Restless alum, who played Malcolm Winters from 2009 to 2011, is set to play James Brown in the upcoming season two of BET's American Soul.
The period series, described by Deadline as one of the most predominant television shows for African American culture, dives into the 1970s Hollywood lives of Soul Train creator Don Cornelius and his dancers, crew, and musicians.
McCrary will be stepping into the shoes of famed singer James Brown, who appeared on Soul Train with his band on several occasions. The rhythm and blues singer is famous for hits like "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," "Night Train," "Living in America," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," and "I Got You (I Feel Good)."
Other performers set to guest-star on the second season of American Soul include Alex Ball as Dick Clark, Mad Men star Hudson Thames as Elton John, Tone Bell as Richard Pryor, Demetria McKinney as June Pointer, D.C. Young Fly as Sly Stone, Christopher B. Duncan as Ray Bradley, Atlanta rapper Big Boi as George Clinton, Ballers actor London Brown as Bootsy Collins, and R&B songstresses Ledisi and Melanie Fiona as Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan, respectively.
Season two of American Soul is set to premiere on BET in 2020. For detailed character descriptions of the above guest stars, check out Deadline's full story here.
McCrary rose to fame playing Eddie Winslow on the 1990s sitcom Family Matters but made a name for himself in the soap opera world as a short-term recast for Shemar Moore in the role of Y&R's Malcolm. His other credits include Anger Management, Freedom, Star, The Leftovers, and Committed.
What do you think about Y&R alum Darius McCrary taking on the role of James Brown in BET's American Soul? If you could play a musician in a television show, who would you choose and why? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
