Forest Whitaker has said he will not be singing in an upcoming Louis Armstrong biopic.
While the Oscar-winning star will direct and play the late jazz legend in the long-developing drama, currently known as Satchmo, he has no plans to mimic his distinctive singing voice.
Speaking to The Playlist he said: "I"m not going to sing. I'm just going to use his voice. It's too iconic."
Forest said he wants the biopic to show Armstrong's positive and passionate outlook on life.
He said: "It's amazing how much he loved life, how much he embraced and danced with life. If you go on YouTube and watch his videos, you can't help but smile, it's really startling."
Whitaker added: "I think it's gonna be great for me, because I think it'll be great to work out what it's like to have that kind of joy. He wasn't miserable, he didn't die from a drug overdose. He had his conflicts, he was deserted at times, he was considered an Uncle Tom at times, but he loved life."
