Self Made (miniseries) explained

Alt Name:Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker
Genre:Drama
Music:Larry Goldings
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Episodes:4
List Episodes:
  1. Episodes
Cinematography:Kira Kelly
Runtime:45–49 minutes
Network:Netflix

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker is an American drama television limited series, based on the biography On Her Own Ground by A'Lelia Bundles, that premiered on March 20, 2020, on Netflix. It received generally positive reviews with praise for Octavia Spencer's performance; however it received criticism for various historical inaccuracies and artistic licence. For her performance, Spencer received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

Premise

Self Made is a fictionalized depiction of "the untold story of black hair care pioneer and mogul Madam C. J. Walker and how she overcame the hostilities of turn-of-the-century America, epic rivalries, and tumultuous marriages to become America’s first Black, self-made female millionaire."[1]

Cast and characters

Main

Guest

Production

Development

On November 10, 2016, it was announced that Zero Gravity Management had optioned the screen rights to A'Lelia Bundles' biography of Madam C. J. Walker, entitled On Her Own Ground, with the intent of developing it into a limited series. The production was expected to be written by Nicole Asher, directed by Kasi Lemmons, and produced by Octavia Spencer, Christine Holder, and Mark Holder.[2]

On July 6, 2017, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order consisting of eight episodes. Executive producers are expected to include LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Mark Holder, Christine Holder, Janine Sherman Barrois, and Elle Johnson. Lemmons is set to direct and executive produce the first episode. Production companies involved with the series are slated to consist of SpringHill Entertainment alongside Zero Gravity Management.[1] The series premiered on March 20, 2020.[3]

Casting

Alongside the initial development announcement, it was confirmed that the series would star Octavia Spencer as Madam C. J. Walker.[2] On August 6, 2019, it was reported that Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Blair Underwood, Garrett Morris, and Kevin Carroll had joined the cast.[4] On August 21, 2019, Bill Bellamy was cast in the miniseries.[5] On October 15, 2019, Zahra Bentham and Mouna Traoré were cast in recurring roles.[6]

Filming

Filming for the limited series took from July 26 to September 20, 2019, in the Canadian cities of Mississauga, Cambridge, Stratford and St. Catharines.[7] [8] [9]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries holds an approval rating of 68% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 5.66/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Self Made doesn't always live up to its namesake, but there's no denying that Octavia Spencer's spectacular embodiment of the singular Madam C.J. Walker is a sight to be seen."[10] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11] Other reviews report disappointment because of the fictionalization and inaccuracies in the storyline. Addie Monroe is a fictionalized character intended to portray Annie Malone, another self-made millionaire who actually was the mentor of Walker.[12] She is portrayed as a villain while another falsification is the portrayal of Walker's daughter as a lesbian.[13] [14]

Accolades

List of Accolades
Award / Film FestivalYearRecipient NominationResult
Black Reel TV Awards[15] Self Made Outstanding TV Movie/Limited Series
Blair UnderwoodOutstanding Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series
Octavia SpencerOutstanding Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series
Bill BellamyOutstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series
Carmen EjogoOutstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series
Primetime Emmy Awards[16] Octavia SpencerOutstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Golden Reel Awards[17] Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Single Presentation Bobbi Banks, Ezra Dweck, Paul Menichini, Bernard Weiser, Butch Wolf, Sanaa Kelley and Stephen Lotwis (for "The Fight of the Century")
NAACP Image Awards[18] Self Made Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Blair UnderwoodOutstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Octavia SpencerOutstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Andreeva. Nellie. Netflix Orders 'Madam C.J. Walker' Limited Series Starring Octavia Spencer & Produced By LeBron James – TCA. Deadline Hollywood. July 29, 2018. July 29, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180729215721/https://deadline.com/2018/07/netflix-orders-madam-c-j-walker-limited-series-starring-octavia-spencer-produced-by-lebron-james-tca-1202435971/. July 29, 2018. live.
  2. Web site: Andreeva. Nellie. Octavia Spencer To Star In & Produce Madam C.J. Walker Limited Series For Zero Gravity. Deadline Hollywood. July 29, 2018. November 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180730020726/https://deadline.com/2016/11/octavia-spencer-star-produce-on-her-own-ground-limited-series-zero-gravity-1201852287/. July 30, 2018. live.
  3. Web site: Ramos. Dino-Ray. Netflix Sets Premiere Date For 'Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J. Walker', Unveils First Look At Octavia Spencer Limited Series. Deadline Hollywood. January 2, 2020. January 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200102165745/https://deadline.com/2020/01/netflix-sets-premiere-date-for-self-made-inspired-by-the-life-of-madam-c-j-walker-unveils-first-look-at-octavia-spencer-limited-series-1202819334/. January 2, 2020. live.
  4. Web site: Tiffany Haddish, Carmen Ejogo, Blair Underwood, More Join Netflix's 'Madam C.J. Walker' Limited Series. Bennett. Anita. August 6, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. August 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190806162534/https://deadline.com/2019/08/tiffany-haddish-carmen-ejogo-blair-underwood-join-netflixs-madam-c-j-walker-1202662145/. August 6, 2019. live.
  5. Web site: 'Madam CJ Walker': Bill Bellamy Joins Netflix Limited Series. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. August 21, 2019. August 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190821152433/https://deadline.com/2019/08/madam-cj-walker-bill-bellamy-cast-netflix-limited-series-1202683196/. August 21, 2019. live.
  6. Web site: 'Madam CJ Walker': Zahra Bentham, Joanne Jansen & Mouna Traoré To Recur In Netflix Limited Series. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. October 15, 2019. October 15, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191015233255/https://deadline.com/2019/10/madam-c-j-walker-zahra-bentham-mouna-traore-to-recur-in-netflix-limited-series-1202760591/. October 15, 2019. live.
  7. Web site: Current Productions IATSE 873. IATSE 873. May 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190526043054/https://www.iatse873.com/current_productions. May 26, 2019. live.
  8. Web site: St. Catharines attracts slice of Hollywood. The St. Catharines Standard. Karena. Walter. August 2, 2019. August 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190811012357/https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news-story/9533804-st-catharines-attracts-slice-of-hollywood/. August 11, 2019. live.
  9. Web site: Cambridge in running for film industry service award. Martin. Ray. July 26, 2019. CambridgeTimes.ca. en-CA. November 18, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190930180659/https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/news-story/9519761-cambridge-in-running-for-film-industry-service-award/. September 30, 2019. live.
  10. Web site: Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker (2020). Rotten Tomatoes. April 16, 2021.
  11. Web site: Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker. Metacritic. April 16, 2021.
  12. Web site: Addie in Self Made Is Based on Beauty Pioneer Annie Turnbo Malone. Nicolaou. Elena. March 20, 2020. Oprahmag.org. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200321045905/https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a31225269/self-made-addie-annie-turnbo-malone-facts/. March 21, 2020. March 24, 2020.
  13. Web site: The Problem With "The Facts About Madam C.J. Walker And Annie Malone" And The Netflix Series. Walker. Robert. March 20, 2020. HarlemWorldMagazine.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200324215943/https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/the-problem-with-the-facts-about-madam-c-j-walker-and-annie-malone-and-the-netflix-series/. March 24, 2020. March 24, 2020.
  14. Web site: Self Made on Netflix misses out some important facts from Madam CJ Walker's real life. Cowell. Lynda. March 23, 2020. Digitalspy.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200324113036/https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a31899199/self-made-netflix-madam-cj-walker/. March 24, 2020. March 24, 2020.
  15. Web site: 2020-06-18. Watchmen & Insecure Pace the Black Reel Awards for TV Nominations. 2020-07-28. Black Reel Awards. en-US. July 4, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200704021011/http://blackreelawards.com/watchmen-insecure-pace-the-black-reel-awards-for-tv-nominations/. dead.
  16. 2020 Primetime Emmy . July 28, 2020 . July 28, 2020 . Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
  17. News: Pond. Steve. March 1, 2021. 'News of the World,' 'Sound of Metal' Lead Motion Picture Sound Editors Nominations. The Wrap.com. March 4, 2021.
  18. Web site: NAACP Image Awards Nominations: Netflix Tops List With 'Bridgerton', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' & 'Da 5 Bloods'. Del Rosario. Alexandra . February 2, 2021. Deadline Hollywood. February 3, 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Self Made (miniseries)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.