*(Hollywood, CA) Oprah Winfrey, Executive Producer and star of Own’s hit series “Greenleaf” breaks down the season finale and her vision of the show with Black Hollywood Live. When asked about black imaging on TV, Winfrey said “Early on into the script it was very important for me and our network Own to put out images that just aren’t positive, but are really reflective.”
Greenleaf is an American television drama series, created by Craig Wright and Lionsgate Television Clement Virgo also serves as an executive producer and director. Greenleaf premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network on June 21, 2016. Greenleaf follows the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family with scandalous secrets and lies, and their sprawling Memphis mega church with predominantly African-American members. The series is headed by Keith David as Bishop James Greenleaf, and Lynn Whitfield as his wife and matriarch of the family, Lady Mae Greenleaf. Merle Dandridge plays the series’ protagonist, Grace Greenleaf, their estranged daughter who has returned home after 20 years following the mysterious death of her sister, Faith.
The show has received positive reviews from critics, with most praising Dandridge, Whitfield and David’s performances. The series premiere drew 3.04 million viewers, making it the No. 1 series debut in OWN history. On April 21, 2016, the series was renewed for a second season ahead of television premiere.
During Winfrey’s guest appearance on the Greenleaf’s season finale recap on Black Hollywood Live, she discussed her loyalty to the fans of the show “I always felt empowered by the viewer, because I always felt the viewer was included on the couch and on the sofa with the microphone along with me.”
Black Hollywood Lives’ President Derrial Christon, added his excitement about Winfrey’s support for the network. “When co-founder Keven Undegaro and I found out Ms. Winfrey was going to call into our Greenleaf season finale, we both instantly felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. The fact that she took the time from her busy schedule to talk with our hosts about the finale, shows how incredible she is as a person and supporter of her fans.”
Undergaro added “Oprah is the best at what she does and we love working with her team. Own has always supported BHL from day one and we look forward to featuring more of their shows and talent on the network.”
BHL delivers informative interviews and insightful commentary with top celebrities and industry influencers. Some of past guests on the network include: Spike Lee, Oprah, Steve Harvey, Mara Brock Akil, Terrence Howard, Mel B, Jamie Foxx, Donald Trump, Will Packer, Kym Whitley, Nia Long, Iyanla Vanzant, Taraji P. Henson, Beverly Johnson, Shemar Moore, Wayne Brady & Rick Fox.
When Oprah was asked how she would describe her character on Greenleaf, she quickly said “I think Mavis is to stoic”.
The season finale for Greenleaf appeared on Own on Tuesday, August 31st. Catch the series finale recap on Black Hollywood Live with hosts: Stacy Ike, Shaka Strong and Mr. Carter.
ABOUT BLACK HOLLYWOOD LIVE:
Black Hollywood Live is the 1st online broadcast network dedicated to African Americans in Entertainment. For more information about Black Hollywood Live, check out www.blackhollywoodlive.com, or reach directly at [email protected]. BHL delivers informative interviews and insightful commentary with top celebrities and industry influencers.
ABOUT OWN:
The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), named for the former daytime talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, is an American television channel produced by Harpo Productions and Discovery Communications. It debuted on January 1, 2011, in approximately 80 million homes.
