Academy Award winner, Octavia Spencer will executive produce and star in the upcoming Netflix limited series, Madam C.J. Walker. Spencer will star as Sarah Breedlove, a black hair care pioneer known as Madam C.J. Walker.
The eight episode limited series, which hails from SpringHill Entertainment, Zero Gravity and Warner Bros Television will detail the untold and highly irreverent story of Walker 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 millionaire. The project is based on the book ‘On Her Own Ground’ by A’Lelia Bundles.
Netflix, Cindy Holland who announced the pick up by Netflix to stream the series noted that the series is part of the streamer’s large goal for the label of diverse content to become obsolete and that there will be great content with regards to the series.
Spencer, who most recently earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in The Shape of Water, will also star in Apple’s upcoming podcast drama ‘Are You Sleeping’ from Reese Witherspoon. Spencer doubles as one of two black actresses to have received three Academy Award nominations and is the only black actress to receive two consecutive nominations.
