Oprah Winfrey already has 18 Emmys on her shelf… but she may want to clear space for one more.
In the just-released trailer for the HBO movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks — debuting Saturday, April 22 at 8/7c — Miss O stars as Deborah Lacks, whose mother Henrietta’s cells were used by scientists to create the first immortal human cell line. The discovery led to a number of medical breakthroughs, but Deborah comes to realize her mother’s cells were harvested without her consent, and teams with journalist Rebecca Skloot (Rose Byrne) to uncover the truth. (The movie is based on Skloot’s 2010 nonfiction bestseller.)
Oprah has been doing more acting lately — she had supporting roles in Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Selma — but she hasn’t starred in a dramatic role like this since the 1998 film Beloved. And she and Byrne are joined here by a great supporting cast, including The People v. O.J. Simpson‘s Courtney B. Vance back in lawyer mode: “This hospital is guilty, and somebody’s going to pay!” (Well, it’s not “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” but it’ll do.)
Press PLAY on the video below to get a sneak peek at Henrietta Lacks, then hit the comments with your first impressions.
