The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday fights a racially charged drug crusade that threatens to silence her iconic protest anthem, risking her career and freedom to keep the truth of “Strange Fruit” alive.
“Her voice would not be silenced.”
Synopsis
Billie Holiday was widely admired by audiences throughout her career. In the 1940s, government authorities focused on Holiday as part of an expanding initiative that linked drug enforcement with racial considerations, with the objective of preventing her from performing the controversial song “Strange Fruit.”
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 84+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Jay RabinowitzShot by Andrew DunnScored by Kris BowersDesigned by Daniel T Dorrance
Also known as
- Die Vereinigten Staaten gegen Billie Holidayde
- Billie Holiday, une affaire d'Étatfr
- Gli Stati Uniti contro Billie Holidayit
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Cast & Crew
84 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Andra Day
as Billie Holiday
Trevante Rhodes
as Jimmy Fletcher
Garrett Hedlund
as Harry Anslinger
Natasha Lyonne
as Tallulah Bankhead
Leslie Jordan
as Reginald Lord Devine
Miss Lawrence
as Miss Freddy
Adriane Lenox
as Mrs. Fletcher
Dusan Dukic
as Joe Glaser
Erik Laray Harvey
as James Monroe
Rob Morgan
as Louis McKay
Da Vine Joy Randolph
as Roslyn
Koumba Ball
as Lucille
Supporting cast
57Evan Ross
as Agent Williams
Tyler James Williams
as Lester 'Prez' Young
Tone Bell
as John Levy
Blake Delong
as Agent Carter
Dana Gourrier
as Sadie
Melvin Gregg
as Joe Guy
Ray Shell
as Carl The Drummer
Kate Maclellan
as Working Class Woman
Kwasi Songui
as Working Class Man
Letitia Brookes
as Velva
Warren Slim Williams
as Bobby Tucker
Orville Thompson
as Auditioning Sax Player
Jeff Corbett
as Congressman JP Thomas
Damian Joseph Quinn
as Roy Cohn
Robert Alan Beuth
as Congressman J. Rankin
Randy Davison
as Senator J. McCarthy
Kevin Hanchard
as Louis Armstrong
Jono Townsend
as Guitar Player
Morgan Moore
as Bass Player
Arlen John Bonnar
as Priest
Furly Mac
as Elevator Attendant
Andrew Zadel
as Agent McDermott
Tristan D Lalla
as Mr. Jordon Green
Alex Bisping
as Bailiff #1
Don Anderson
as Judge Ganey
Amanda Strawn
as Gloria
Charleine Charles
as Shirley
Sylvia Stewart
as Stink-Eye Inmate
Daphne Archer
as Jail Dishwasher
Anita Lee
as Fighting Woman
Tony Chao
as Fighting Man
Linda Sauve
as Receptionist
Alain Goulem
as Ed Fishman
Ramona Clyke
as Miss Mona
Laurent Beaudin
as Ed Fishman's Assistant
Alika Autran
as Martha Anslinger
Kim Feeney
as Lady In Audience
Diana Carmen Ratycz
as Carnegie Fan
Richard Jutras
as Uptown Restaurant Maître d'
Jonathan Higgins
as Defense Lawyer Erlich
Marc Essertaize
as Bailiff #2
Nealla Gordon
as Courthouse Reporter
Len Blavatnik
as Club Owner
Christopher Ricardo Price
as Drug Dealer
Taryn Brown
as Billie (10 years old)
Zuri Hawkins
as Little Girl in Brothel
Elizabeth Eveillard
as Prostitute 1923
Clauter Alexandre
as Husband
Penande Estime
as Hanging Woman
Elikya Tupula
as Young Daughter
Nefertari Zanyah Brewster Griffith
as Older Daughter
Joe Cobden
as George Jessel
Ronda Louis Jeune
as Jimmy's Girlfriend
Maxime Paradis
as Producer
Sarah Levesque
as Nurse
Donald Fullilove
as Additional Voices (voice)
Anne Krystel Goyer
as La petite amie de McKay
Directors
1Writers
2Producers
4Other crew
9Parents Guide
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