H.E.R. stars as Squeak in the "The Color Purple" movie musical. The character is a juke-joint waitress and singer wrapped up in a romance with her boss, Harpo. Regarding her first role in a major motion picture, H.E.R. told POPSUGAR in January 2022, "I was so nervous about it, I'm not going to lie, because 'The Color Purple' is such a big film, and I really want to show up and do my thing. But I'm just thankful for the opportunity. I think it's going to be fun."
H.E.R. released her debut album, "Back of My Mind," in June 2021. While she has just three notable live-action acting credits — she had a small role in 2009's "School Gyrls," played the title character in the 2017 short film "Erma," and starred as Belle in ABC's "Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration" special — H.E.R. already has an Oscar. "Fight For You," which she wrote for "Judas and the Black Messiah," earned her the 2021 award for best original song.
