Octavia Spencer will take on the role of the first African American to become a millionaire, entrepreneur, social and political activist, Madam C.J. Walker.
Walker invented a line of African American hair products after suffering from a scalp ailment that resulted in her own hair loss. She promoted her products by traveling around the country giving lecture-demonstrations and eventually established Madame C.J. Walker Laboratories to manufacture cosmetics and train sales beauticians.
According to Netflix, the film is “inspired by the book, On Her Own Ground, written by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles, the Netflix original series, SELD MADE: INSPIRED BY THE LIFE OF MADAM C.J. WALKER brings the uplifting story of this cultural icon to the screen for the first time.”
The series will co-star Blair Underwood as the husband of Madam C.J. Walker, Carmen Ejogo as Addie Monroe who was known for being Walker’s business rival, Tiffany Haddish as Walker’s daughter Leila, Kevin Carroll as Walker’s lawyer Ransom, Bill Bellamy as Sweetness who is also Ransom’s cousin and Garrett Morris as the father-in-law of Walker.
The release states, “SELF MADE: INSPIRED BY THE LIFE OF MADAM C.J. WALKER was created by Nicole Jefferson Asher with co-showrunners Elle Johnson & Janine Sherman Barrois, directed by Kasi Lemmons and DeMane Davis, and executive produced by Barrois, Johnson, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, Eric Oberland, Christine Holder, Mark Holder, Kasi Lemmons, LeBron James, and Octavia Spencer.”
Netflix is investing in uplifting strong and powerful black stories. The four-part limited series is scheduled to premiere on March 20th, 2020.
