*HBO has dropped a first look trailer of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” its upcoming telepic featuring Oprah Winfrey in the lead.
It’s the true story of the African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line after many other such efforts failed — but without her permission or knowledge.
The story is told from the vantage point of her daughter, Deborah (Winfrey). The HBO Films project chronicles Deborah’s search, with the help of journalist Rebecca Skloot (Rose Byrne), to learn about the mother she never knew and understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks’ cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented breakthroughs that changed the face of medicine forever. When the sheepishly smiling writer tells Deborah that she wants to pen a book about her mom’s experience, Deborah looks her up and down, then says, “Hope I don’t regret this.”
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Rocky Carroll, Kyanna Simone Simpson, Courtney B. Vance, Leslie Uggams, Reg E. Cathey, Reed Birney, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, John Douglas Thompson, Adriane Lenox, Roger Robinson and Melvin Van Peebles co-star in the film from writer-director George C. Wolfe, based on Skloot’s 2010 book.
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” premieres at 8 PM April 22 on HBO.
Watch the trailer below:
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