Jessica Gunning, fresh off her breakout performance in the critically acclaimed series Baby Reindeer, is set to portray singer Cass Elliot in an upcoming biopic, My Mama Cass. The film will delve into the life of Elliot, best known as a member of the 1960s group The Mamas & The Papas, and her subsequent solo career.
The project, currently being adapted by writer Emma Forrest, is based on the memoir penned by Elliot’s daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell. According to Variety, My Mama Cass will focus on Elliot’s personal story, diverging from a traditional Mamas & The Papas band biography. A significant element of the narrative will center on Elliot-Kugell’s campaign to dispel the persistent and inaccurate rumor surrounding her mother’s death.
Elliot died in 1974 at the age of 32. While often falsely reported as having died from choking on a ham sandwich, her official cause of death was a heart attack. The film will address the origins and impact of this enduring myth, according to reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.
Elliot rose to fame in the mid-1960s with The Mamas & The Papas, achieving success with hits like “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday.” Following the group’s dissolution in 1968, she embarked on a solo career that yielded popular songs such as “Make Your Own Kind of Music,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and “Baby I’m Yours.”
Gunning’s previous roles include appearances in Doctor Who, Law & Order: UK, the 2014 film Pride, and the Prime Video series The Outlaws. Her recent Emmy-winning performance in Baby Reindeer has significantly raised her profile in the industry.
My Mama Cass is being produced by Veritas Entertainment, the company behind the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. As of February 13, 2026, a director has not yet been announced for the project. Production timelines remain undisclosed.
Rolling Stone reported on the long journey to bring Elliot’s story to the screen, noting the decades-long effort to secure a film focused on her individual life and legacy.
