• Sunday, Jul. 29, 2018
Octavia Spencer to star as black haircare mogul Madam Walker
This Feb. 6, 2017 file photo shows Octavia Spencer at the 89th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
  • BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.(AP)
  • --

Octavia Spencer is bringing the story of black haircare mogul Madam C.J. Walker to television.

Netflix said Sunday that Spencer will produce and star in a limited series about the outsized life of Sarah Breedlove, who was known professionally as Walker.

The eight-episode drama is based on the book "On Her Own Ground" by A'Lelia Bundles and includes basketball star LeBron James as a producer.

Walker became one of America's first self-made female millionaires by creating and marketing hair products for African-Americans at the turn of the 20th century.

Netflix said the series will detail the hostility, rivalries and tumultuous personal life that marked Walker's life.

Spencer is an Oscar-winning actress whose credits include "The Shape of Water," ''Hidden Figures" and "The Help."

A release date for "Madam C.J. Walker" was not announced.


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