Janelle Monáe Will Star As Josephine Baker In Upcoming A24 Series ‘De La Resistance’
Singer Janelle Monáe is slated to portray the iconic entertainer and freedom fighter Josephine Baker in an upcoming TV series titled De La Resistance.
Baker was not only a skilled dancer, but she was once a spy, an entertainer, and an entrepreneur.
According to Deadline, the series is based on the upcoming Damien Lewis book,Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy. The drama will focus on Baker’s accomplishments as an entertainer, including becoming the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture, the 1927 silent film Siren Of The Tropics.
It will also venture into her reported role as a spy for the French Intelligence during World War II. The singer was able to gather intel on the Axis powers through her work and reputation as an entertainer. She later became a civil rights activist in the United States.
A native of St. Louis, Baker died in Paris in 1975 at the age of 68.
Rolling Stone also reported that Baker purportedly used her well-known fame and popularity to infiltrate high society for information as she was able to travel around Europe to spread messages to allied countries. Charles de Gaulle named her to the Legion of Honour as well as awarded Baker with several honors.
A dream finally coming to life🖤my hero🥺🖤long live MADAM JOSEPHINE BAKER🖤let’s gooooooooooo🌹🚀💋🖤🙏🏾 https://t.co/goWGkx9DDB
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather👽🚆🤖🚀🪐 (@JanelleMonae) May 4, 2022
Chuck Lightning, Mikael Moore, Nate Wonder, and Dana Gills serve as executive producers for her production company, Wondaland, Angela Gibbs is also an executive producer. Lewis, the author, will serve as a co-executive producer and researcher.
Monaé’s new novel, The Memory Librarian, recently debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list. She is best known for screen roles in Hidden Figures, Moonlight and Harriet. They are also slated to star in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out 2.