Her story. Her voice.
The film chronicles Nina Simone's journey from child piano prodigy to iconic musician and passionate activist, told in her own words.
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) is a music and documentary film directed by Liz Garbus, released on January 22, 2015 with a runtime of 1h 41m. It stars Nina Simone, Lisa Simone, Dick Gregory and Stanley Crouch. Viewers rate it 7.4 out of 10 across 396 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for What Happened, Miss Simone? before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for What Happened, Miss Simone?.
Trailer
Trailer
Nina Simone
as Herself
Lisa Simone
as Herself
Dick Gregory
as Himself
Stanley Crouch
as Himself
Elisabeth Henry-Macari
as Miss Mazzie
Ilyasah Shabazz
as Self
Directed by Liz Garbus, written by Liz Garbus, produced by Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby and Justin Wilkes.
Average viewer score of 7.4/10 from 396 ratings.
I did not know that Nina Simone was a classically trained pianist, not that she was declined entry into a conservatory in New York - not because of her lack of skill but because of her skin pigmentation. I don't suppose that should have surprised me, but that New York in the 1950s was still that bigoted is pretty shameful. She didn't just take that slight lying down though, and was soon working nightly in a jazz…
Reviewed on August 2, 2026
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What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) is available to stream on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) includes Nina Simone, Lisa Simone, Dick Gregory, Stanley Crouch and Elisabeth Henry-Macari. The film was directed by Liz Garbus. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
What Happened, Miss Simone? was released on January 22, 2015 and runs for 1h 41m.
What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) holds an average rating of 7.4 out of 10 from 396 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy music and documentary films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official What Happened, Miss Simone? trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
