Photo Courtesy Amanda Matlovich/Netflix
Netflix is bringing in a comedy vet to their upcoming limited series, Madam CJ Walker.
According to Deadline, Bill Bellamy has been tapped to star in the Octavia Spencer-led series about the legendary entrepreneur and philanthropist. He joins Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Blair Underwood, Garrett Morris and Kevin Carroll, who were previously announced.
Bellamy will play Sweetness, a smart and savvy banker, who gets inspired by Madam Walker’s success and angles for a way to get in good with her – by any means necessary.
As previously reported, Spencer will play Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, in the eight-episode series. The series, based on Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles book, On Her Own Ground, is the first scripted drama from LeBron James‘ production company, SpringHill Entertainment. James and Spencer will co-executive produce the drama, with Bundles to serve as a consultant on the series.
Walker, who died in 1919 at age 51, was America’s first female self-made millionaire. She amassed much of her fortune by developing and marketing a line of beauty and hair products for black women, via her Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company.
The Madam CJ Walker series will launch on Netflix in 2020.
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