BET+ has dropped the first trailer for its upcoming biopic Fighting To Be Me: The Dwen Curry Story, premiering Thursday, February 27. Starring Dyllón Burnside (Pose), D.B. Woodside (9-1-1: Lone Star), and A.J. Akua Johnson (Baby Boy), the film tells the true story of Dwen Curry—a celebrated celebrity stylist with a double life. While styling stars like LisaRaye McCoy, Mariah Carey, and Missy Elliott, Curry secretly ran a multimillion-dollar credit card fraud operation with her underground group, the “Gay Gangsters.”
Synopsis:
The film follows Curry’s life from Detroit, where she battles addiction and depression, to Oakland, where she reinvents herself. In the early 90s, she finds success as a salon owner and stylist to hip-hop and Hollywood’s elite. But while her career takes off, she leads a secret life as a fraud mastermind, funding a glamorous lifestyle while navigating the complexities of her sexuality and identity. The story captures Curry’s highs and lows—her rise to fame, her prison sentence for wire fraud, and her personal journey toward self-acceptance and transitioning.
Filled with glitz, danger, and raw emotion, Fighting To Be Me is ultimately a story of transformation and triumph in the face of life’s biggest challenges.
Additional Cast:
The film’s rich ensemble includes Greg Mathis Jr. as DJ, Maurice Alpharicio as Zaire, Erika Norrell as LisaRaye McCoy, Rodrick Covington as Butchie, Monroe Alise as Auntie Jazzy, and Chantal Maurice as YoYo. Chanel Mack, Dominique Toney, Todd Kim Sue, and Unique Jenkins also appear in pivotal roles that bring depth to this story.
Directed by Joe Carroll and written by LaJill Hunt, Fighting To Be Me is produced by MegaMind Media’s Tressa Azarel Smallwood, Donte Lee, Kristin Iris Johnson, and Vanda Lee. Judge Greg Mathis, Dyllón Burnside, Dwen Curry, and Delece James serve as executive producers.