Octavia Spencer embodied some of the most inspiring and fierce movie heroines and it seems she’s finally ready to bring her enormous talent to the small screen. The Oscar-winner will play the titular character in limited series about legendary African-American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker.
The upcoming series will tell the “highly irreverent story of black hair care pioneer and mogul, and how she overcame hostile turn-of-the-century America, epic rivalries, tumultuous marriages and some trifling family to become America’s first black, self-made female millionaire.”
The eight-episode limited series will be coming to Netflix, with Janine Sherman Barrois and Elle Johnson sharing showrunning duties. Spencer, LeBron James and director of the first episode Kasi Lemmons will be among executive producers. The book On Her Own Ground written by Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles will serve as the source material.
Octavia Spencer is the perfect choice for this role, but it’s a miracle she found enough time in her busy schedule. The Help star was nominated for Best Supporting Actress award at the Oscars two years in a row, thanks to her amazing performances in Hidden Figures and The Shape of Water. We’re sure her phone has been ringing non-stop ever since, but even Spencer couldn’t say “No” to this call from Netflix.
