Oprah Introduces Youngster Who Will Play Her Character As A Child In Biopic The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
She's set to star in and produce her passion project, The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks.
And on Monday, Oprah Winfrey took to Instagram to introduce Kee Simone, the young actress who will play her character as a child in HBO biopic The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, based on Rebecca Skloot's bestseller.
'Just finished 1st table read with my younger self! @keesimone #HenriettaLacksmovie,' the 62-year-old wrote with a picture of herself with her arm around Kee's shoulders.
In a story ripped from true life, an African-American woman, Henrietta Lacks, became an unwitting pioneer for medical breakthroughs when her cervical cancer cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line, known as HeLa, in the early 1950s.
Renée Elise Goldsberry plays Henrietta while Oprah plays her daughter Deborah as a grown woman with Kee as her younger self.
Joining Oprah as executive producers are Alan Ball, Peter Macdissi, Carla Gardini and Lydia Dean Pilcher.
The project has been in the works for years, according to Variety.
It was first announced in 2010 when Oprah's Harpo Films acquired the book rights. At that time the media mogul was attached to produce, alongside Alan for HBO Films.
But it sat in development and it wasn't until Oprah agreed to star in the biopic that it was put on a fast-track with filming due to begin this summer.
Meanwhile, the media mogul, actress and TV host is also in final negotiations to play Mrs. Which in Disney's adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time, to be directed by Ava DuVernay, according to Deadline.
The pair previously collaborated on Selma, about Martin Luther King Jr's historic march, which Oprah starred in and produced.
And on Monday, Oprah Winfrey took to Instagram to introduce Kee Simone, the young actress who will play her character as a child in HBO biopic The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, based on Rebecca Skloot's bestseller.
'Just finished 1st table read with my younger self! @keesimone #HenriettaLacksmovie,' the 62-year-old wrote with a picture of herself with her arm around Kee's shoulders.
In a story ripped from true life, an African-American woman, Henrietta Lacks, became an unwitting pioneer for medical breakthroughs when her cervical cancer cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line, known as HeLa, in the early 1950s.
Renée Elise Goldsberry plays Henrietta while Oprah plays her daughter Deborah as a grown woman with Kee as her younger self.
Joining Oprah as executive producers are Alan Ball, Peter Macdissi, Carla Gardini and Lydia Dean Pilcher.
The project has been in the works for years, according to Variety.
It was first announced in 2010 when Oprah's Harpo Films acquired the book rights. At that time the media mogul was attached to produce, alongside Alan for HBO Films.
But it sat in development and it wasn't until Oprah agreed to star in the biopic that it was put on a fast-track with filming due to begin this summer.
Meanwhile, the media mogul, actress and TV host is also in final negotiations to play Mrs. Which in Disney's adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time, to be directed by Ava DuVernay, according to Deadline.
The pair previously collaborated on Selma, about Martin Luther King Jr's historic march, which Oprah starred in and produced.
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