Roland A. Pattillo, the gynecologic oncologist who played a pivotal role in bringing the case of Henrietta Lacks to public awareness and was played by Ruben Santiago-Hudson in the 2017 HBO movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, died of Parkinson’s disease on May 3 at his home outside Atlanta. He was 89.
His death went largely unreported until recent articles in The Nation and The New York Times.
Although the so-called “HeLa” cell line had been used since the 1950s for scientific research that helped develop the polio vaccine, HIV treatments and many other medical advances, the human source of the cell line – Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old Black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951 – was largely unknown outside the medical community. In the 1990s, Pattillo made it his mission to celebrate Lacks and her immense contribution to medical research.
He started by finding and contacting Lacks’ surviving family members, including daughter Deborah Lacks,...
His death went largely unreported until recent articles in The Nation and The New York Times.
Although the so-called “HeLa” cell line had been used since the 1950s for scientific research that helped develop the polio vaccine, HIV treatments and many other medical advances, the human source of the cell line – Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old Black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951 – was largely unknown outside the medical community. In the 1990s, Pattillo made it his mission to celebrate Lacks and her immense contribution to medical research.
He started by finding and contacting Lacks’ surviving family members, including daughter Deborah Lacks,...
- 10/23/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The jury vote for the 30th USC Libraries Scripter Award nominees was so close that two ties resulted for the film and television categories. Due to a three-way tie in the nomination round, the writers of seven films and the works on which the films are based will compete for the honors this year.
The winner of the Scripter Award often goes on to other honors, including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Winners in recent years include “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” “The Imitation Game,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Argo,” which all won the Oscar in that category.
The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:
Author André Aciman and screenwriter James Ivory for “Call Me By Your Name” Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for “The Disaster Artist” and authors Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell for their nonfiction book “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside ‘The Room,...
The winner of the Scripter Award often goes on to other honors, including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Winners in recent years include “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” “The Imitation Game,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Argo,” which all won the Oscar in that category.
The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:
Author André Aciman and screenwriter James Ivory for “Call Me By Your Name” Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for “The Disaster Artist” and authors Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell for their nonfiction book “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside ‘The Room,...
- 1/16/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The jury vote for the 30th USC Libraries Scripter Award nominees was so close that two ties resulted for the film and television categories. Due to a three-way tie in the nomination round, the writers of seven films and the works on which the films are based will compete for the honors this year.
The winner of the Scripter Award often goes on to other honors, including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Winners in recent years include “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” “The Imitation Game,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Argo,” which all won the Oscar in that category.
The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:
Author André Aciman and screenwriter James Ivory for “Call Me By Your Name” Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for “The Disaster Artist” and authors Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell for their nonfiction book “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside ‘The Room,...
The winner of the Scripter Award often goes on to other honors, including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Winners in recent years include “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” “The Imitation Game,” “12 Years a Slave” and “Argo,” which all won the Oscar in that category.
The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:
Author André Aciman and screenwriter James Ivory for “Call Me By Your Name” Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for “The Disaster Artist” and authors Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell for their nonfiction book “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside ‘The Room,...
- 1/16/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
It’s hailed as one of Oprah Winfrey’s best performances.
The well-respected talk show host, and actress, stars in the drama The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks from the adaptation of Rebecca Skloot’s critically best-selling, non-fiction book of the same title.
The story is told through the eyes of Henrietta Lack’s daughter, Deborah Lacks, in the search to learn about the mother she never knew, and the understanding of unauthorized harvesting of Lack’s cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever.
Rose Byrne also stars in the film as the investing journalist Rebecca Skloot.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is currently available for Digital Download today by HBO Home Entertainment.
Lrm has a couple of digital codes to give away to our lucky readers on the site. To participate in this giveaway, e-mail contest@lrmonline.com with your e-mail address,...
The well-respected talk show host, and actress, stars in the drama The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks from the adaptation of Rebecca Skloot’s critically best-selling, non-fiction book of the same title.
The story is told through the eyes of Henrietta Lack’s daughter, Deborah Lacks, in the search to learn about the mother she never knew, and the understanding of unauthorized harvesting of Lack’s cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever.
Rose Byrne also stars in the film as the investing journalist Rebecca Skloot.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is currently available for Digital Download today by HBO Home Entertainment.
Lrm has a couple of digital codes to give away to our lucky readers on the site. To participate in this giveaway, e-mail contest@lrmonline.com with your e-mail address,...
- 6/2/2017
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
Oprah Winfrey delivered an inspiring commencement address at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta on Saturday morning.
“You’re nothing if you’re not the truth,” Winfrey, 63, said to the crowd. “I’ve made a living, I’ve made a life – I’ve made a fortune, really – all good! – from being true to myself. If I can leave you with any message today: The biggest reward is not financial benefits, though it’s really good, you can get a lot of great shoes!”
She continued, “Those of you who have a lot of shoes know having a closet full of shoes...
“You’re nothing if you’re not the truth,” Winfrey, 63, said to the crowd. “I’ve made a living, I’ve made a life – I’ve made a fortune, really – all good! – from being true to myself. If I can leave you with any message today: The biggest reward is not financial benefits, though it’s really good, you can get a lot of great shoes!”
She continued, “Those of you who have a lot of shoes know having a closet full of shoes...
- 5/14/2017
- by Katherine Richter
- PEOPLE.com
Oprah Winfrey doesn’t just research her roles by reading books. To prepare for “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Winfrey gave an unsuspecting homeowner the surprise of his life.
Discussing her new HBO film on Thursday night at an event in Los Angeles, Winfrey told moderator Elvis Mitchell that she prepared to play Deborah Lacks by seeking out the real-life woman’s childhood home.
“When we went to Baltimore last summer to meet with the family for the first time, I got the address where she used to live and stopped by her old house,” Winfrey said, on stage at the Bing Theater, as part of the Film Independent at Lacma series. “I just knocked on the door on a Sunday morning. Steadman was standing outside just in case something went down. The guy opens the door and there’s that moment…’Oprah?'”
It was a moment that almost didn’t happen,...
Discussing her new HBO film on Thursday night at an event in Los Angeles, Winfrey told moderator Elvis Mitchell that she prepared to play Deborah Lacks by seeking out the real-life woman’s childhood home.
“When we went to Baltimore last summer to meet with the family for the first time, I got the address where she used to live and stopped by her old house,” Winfrey said, on stage at the Bing Theater, as part of the Film Independent at Lacma series. “I just knocked on the door on a Sunday morning. Steadman was standing outside just in case something went down. The guy opens the door and there’s that moment…’Oprah?'”
It was a moment that almost didn’t happen,...
- 4/21/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Rose Byrne found telling Oprah Winfrey to "shut the f**k up" in 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' to be "surreal".
The 37-year-old actress stars alongside the American icon in the new HBO TV movie, and Rose admitted that one particular scene with Oprah sticks out in her mind.
She shared: "It was intense! It was a long day, but we wanted to do a good job and we were g-ed up to do it.
"It was one of those strange surreal moments in your life but that's acting you know? I think I said that to Glenn Close a few times as well so I'm clearly cornering a market, telling legendary woman to eff off."
Rose was, in fact, a little intimidated by her co-star before she got to know her on the set of the TV movie.
She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "Of course, someone of that profile,...
The 37-year-old actress stars alongside the American icon in the new HBO TV movie, and Rose admitted that one particular scene with Oprah sticks out in her mind.
She shared: "It was intense! It was a long day, but we wanted to do a good job and we were g-ed up to do it.
"It was one of those strange surreal moments in your life but that's acting you know? I think I said that to Glenn Close a few times as well so I'm clearly cornering a market, telling legendary woman to eff off."
Rose was, in fact, a little intimidated by her co-star before she got to know her on the set of the TV movie.
She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "Of course, someone of that profile,...
- 4/19/2017
- GossipCenter
Racism. Classism. The goddamn patriarchy. All of these issues are of great relevancy to our current culture, and all of these issues are pertinent themes of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” the new HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne. Chronicling the legal but unethical theft of a black woman’s cells by white doctors, the film proves to be more concerned with finding a happy ending than discussing how the systemic nature of America’s racial rift has adversely affected a family, if not generations of families. That might be a viable option if the “Henrietta Lacks” emotional core wasn’t built on rage, but — as is admirably encapsulated in Winfrey’s performance — there’s too much suffering here to settle for complacency.
Serving as yet another example of a storyteller stealing focus from the story she’s trying to tell, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks...
Serving as yet another example of a storyteller stealing focus from the story she’s trying to tell, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks...
- 4/19/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Oprah Winfrey wasn’t looking for an acting project — but the fascinating story of Henrietta Lacks‘ life and legacy inspired her.
In an interview with People and Entertainment Weekly‘s Editorial Director Jess Cagle for the latest edition of The Jess Cagle Interview, excerpted in this week’s issue of People, Winfrey opens up about starring in and executive-producing HBO’s upcoming Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an adaption of Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 best-selling book of the same name.
The film tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, a working-class African-American woman whose cervical cancer cells were used without her...
In an interview with People and Entertainment Weekly‘s Editorial Director Jess Cagle for the latest edition of The Jess Cagle Interview, excerpted in this week’s issue of People, Winfrey opens up about starring in and executive-producing HBO’s upcoming Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an adaption of Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 best-selling book of the same name.
The film tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, a working-class African-American woman whose cervical cancer cells were used without her...
- 4/17/2017
- by Aurelie Corinthios
- PEOPLE.com
There's a great story to be told about Henrietta Lacks, the African-American tobacco farmer who, in 1951, had a tissue sample removed, without her knowledge or consent, from the malignant tumor on her cervix. This one set of cells, nicknamed HeLa, proved to be extremely resilient in laboratory settings, and it revolutionized medical research. But while these "immortal" organisms helped give rise to pharmaceuticals that could combat diseases like cancer and AIDS, the woman who they came from was never given her due.
White journalist Rebecca Skloot aimed to remedy this situation with her 2010 book, a decade in the...
White journalist Rebecca Skloot aimed to remedy this situation with her 2010 book, a decade in the...
- 4/17/2017
- by Keith Uhlich
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ewan McGregor in ‘Fargo’
Two of the best series on television return this week as HBO brings back Veep and FX debuts another season of Fargo. Additionally, there are anticipated fiction and nonfiction shows as well as a new HBO biopic we’re excited about, at the same time we’re set to say goodbye to other favorites, either for the year or forever. To help you keep track of the most important programs over the next seven days, here’s our guide to everything worth watching, whether it’s on broadcast, cable, or streaming for April 16–22:
(All listed times are Eastern)
SUNDAYVeep (HBO, 10:30pm)
This show is back for the first time since the election, and fans are surely wondering how the political humor will reflect the new administration. Probably not at all, considering it was never a reaction to current events before. Instead, the focus on the first episode of season six, “Omaha...
Two of the best series on television return this week as HBO brings back Veep and FX debuts another season of Fargo. Additionally, there are anticipated fiction and nonfiction shows as well as a new HBO biopic we’re excited about, at the same time we’re set to say goodbye to other favorites, either for the year or forever. To help you keep track of the most important programs over the next seven days, here’s our guide to everything worth watching, whether it’s on broadcast, cable, or streaming for April 16–22:
(All listed times are Eastern)
SUNDAYVeep (HBO, 10:30pm)
This show is back for the first time since the election, and fans are surely wondering how the political humor will reflect the new administration. Probably not at all, considering it was never a reaction to current events before. Instead, the focus on the first episode of season six, “Omaha...
- 4/16/2017
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Henrietta Lacks was just 30 years old when she discovered a lump on her cervix while in her bathtub at home.
A private-care doctor referred her to Johns Hopkins Hospital for further testing and she was diagnosed with cancer in January 1951. Lacks, the wife of a steelworker and a mother of five, was treated with radiation and sent home, but she was hospitalized the following August. She died at the age of 31 two months later.
But that’s not where her story ends.
Without her knowledge or permission, doctors harvested samples of Lacks’ cervical tissue during her treatments and discovered her...
A private-care doctor referred her to Johns Hopkins Hospital for further testing and she was diagnosed with cancer in January 1951. Lacks, the wife of a steelworker and a mother of five, was treated with radiation and sent home, but she was hospitalized the following August. She died at the age of 31 two months later.
But that’s not where her story ends.
Without her knowledge or permission, doctors harvested samples of Lacks’ cervical tissue during her treatments and discovered her...
- 4/12/2017
- by Ale Russian
- PEOPLE.com
What's in store for TV in April, you ask? NBC will see if they still remember how to successfully launch a half-hour comedy. HBO unveils a one-two punch (one doc, one based-on-a-true-story drama) about women's-health issues. FX brings back one of its Mvp anthology shows. AMC tries their hand (again) at a Western, and Fox launches millions of utterances of "Oh yeah, I remember Prison Break ... wasn't that the one where they break out of the prison?" Here's what you'll be watching this month; check out our Best Movies and...
- 3/29/2017
- Rollingstone.com
The fascinating story of Henrietta Lacks‘ life and legacy is less than a month away from making its small-screen debut.
Ahead of the HBO biopic’s premiere, People can exclusively reveal a First Look at the powerful character posters for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an adaption of Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 critically acclaimed book of the same name.
The film tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cervical cancer cells were used without her consent to create the first immortal human cell line, HeLa, in 1951.
Oprah Winfrey plays protagonist Deborah Lacks, Henrietta’s daughter. (Winfrey,...
Ahead of the HBO biopic’s premiere, People can exclusively reveal a First Look at the powerful character posters for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an adaption of Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 critically acclaimed book of the same name.
The film tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cervical cancer cells were used without her consent to create the first immortal human cell line, HeLa, in 1951.
Oprah Winfrey plays protagonist Deborah Lacks, Henrietta’s daughter. (Winfrey,...
- 3/24/2017
- by Aurelie Corinthios
- PEOPLE.com
Truth is stranger than fiction in HBO’s upcoming drama, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”
Oprah Winfrey teamed up with “True Blood’s” Alan Ball to executive produce the adaptation of journalist Rebecca Skloot’s bestselling nonfiction book of the same name. The novel tracks the titular Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman who is the progenitor of the HeLa immortal cell line. Even though she died in 1951, the cells from her cervical cancer were harvested without her knowledge or consent and have been used and replicated since then in biomedical research.
Read More: Oprah Winfrey in Talks to Star in ‘Terms of Endearment’ Remake
Lacks (“Hamilton” alum Renee Elise Goldsberry) had just given birth to her fifth child when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Winfrey plays Deborah Lacks, the second-to-last child born to Henrietta, who was only 2-years-old when her mother died and, as an adult, learned...
Oprah Winfrey teamed up with “True Blood’s” Alan Ball to executive produce the adaptation of journalist Rebecca Skloot’s bestselling nonfiction book of the same name. The novel tracks the titular Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman who is the progenitor of the HeLa immortal cell line. Even though she died in 1951, the cells from her cervical cancer were harvested without her knowledge or consent and have been used and replicated since then in biomedical research.
Read More: Oprah Winfrey in Talks to Star in ‘Terms of Endearment’ Remake
Lacks (“Hamilton” alum Renee Elise Goldsberry) had just given birth to her fifth child when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Winfrey plays Deborah Lacks, the second-to-last child born to Henrietta, who was only 2-years-old when her mother died and, as an adult, learned...
- 3/16/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne are teaming up to expose the untold story of one of the most important figures in the history of modern medicine in the first trailer for the upcoming HBO biopic The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Winfrey plays Deborah, the daughter of the eponymous Henrietta Lacks -- a black woman whose unique cells were harvested without her permission while she was dying in 1951, and were used in a number of world-changing medical breakthroughs, including in vitro fertilization and gene mapping, among many others.
Photos: Stars Take On Real-Life Roles
Byrne plays journalist Rebecca Skloot -- the author of the book the film is based on -- who gets in touch with Deborah to uncover the truth and tragedy behind her mother's unwitting contribution to science.
In the new intense, emotional trailer, it's clear Henrietta's family was unaware of what was being done to and taken from her as she was hospitalized...
Winfrey plays Deborah, the daughter of the eponymous Henrietta Lacks -- a black woman whose unique cells were harvested without her permission while she was dying in 1951, and were used in a number of world-changing medical breakthroughs, including in vitro fertilization and gene mapping, among many others.
Photos: Stars Take On Real-Life Roles
Byrne plays journalist Rebecca Skloot -- the author of the book the film is based on -- who gets in touch with Deborah to uncover the truth and tragedy behind her mother's unwitting contribution to science.
In the new intense, emotional trailer, it's clear Henrietta's family was unaware of what was being done to and taken from her as she was hospitalized...
- 3/16/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
In HBO's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Oprah Winfrey stars as Deborah Lacks, the daughter of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cell line (called HeLa) has benefited science, leading to medical breakthroughs in the development of the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization and much more. The problem is, Henrietta's cells were taken without her permission.
Based on Rebecca Skloot's narrative nonfiction book of the same name, the George C. Wolfe-directed film stars Winfrey, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Henrietta and Rose Byrne as Skloot.
The moving trailer weaves between generations,...
Based on Rebecca Skloot's narrative nonfiction book of the same name, the George C. Wolfe-directed film stars Winfrey, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Henrietta and Rose Byrne as Skloot.
The moving trailer weaves between generations,...
- 3/16/2017
- Rollingstone.com
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.
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.
- 3/15/2017
- TVLine.com
Oprah Winfrey is paying tribute to an important piece of history in her latest role.
HBO has released the first teaser for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which features the media mogul in a powerful role as Lack's daughter, Deborah.
Watch: Oprah Winfrey Celebrates 63rd Birthday With Friends, Pasta and Play-Doh
The new film, based on Rebecca Skloot's 2010 book of the same name, explores the story of Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line that is derived from samples taken from her without her knowledge.
In 1951, Lacks had a biopsy taken from her cervix after giving birth. Doctors took two samples while treating a malignant epidermoid carcinoma, one of cancerous cells and one healthy. The cancerous cells became the base of an immortal cell line known as HeLa, which has been used across the world for medical research.
Lacks died at age 31 the same year, but it wasn't until decades later that her daughter, Deborah...
HBO has released the first teaser for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which features the media mogul in a powerful role as Lack's daughter, Deborah.
Watch: Oprah Winfrey Celebrates 63rd Birthday With Friends, Pasta and Play-Doh
The new film, based on Rebecca Skloot's 2010 book of the same name, explores the story of Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line that is derived from samples taken from her without her knowledge.
In 1951, Lacks had a biopsy taken from her cervix after giving birth. Doctors took two samples while treating a malignant epidermoid carcinoma, one of cancerous cells and one healthy. The cancerous cells became the base of an immortal cell line known as HeLa, which has been used across the world for medical research.
Lacks died at age 31 the same year, but it wasn't until decades later that her daughter, Deborah...
- 2/19/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Oprah Winfrey looks to be an early Emmy contender, if the snippets of her bold performance from the newest “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” teaser trailer are any indication.
The film follows the decades-long saga of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cervical cancer cells were used anonymously to change the course of cancer treatment. Winfrey stars as Lacks’ daughter Deborah, who wrestles with the medical ethics surrounding this case.
Read More: Oprah Winfrey in Talks to Star in Lee Daniels’ ‘Terms of Endearment’ Remake
George C. Wolfe wrote and directed the project, and Winfrey is on board as an executive producer, alongside “True Blood” mastermind Alan Ball. The film also stars Rose Byrne, Courtney B. Vance and “Hamilton” alum Renée Elise Goldsberry. The movie is based on Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 best-selling nonfiction book of the same name.
“The book connects the epic with the intimate, and that’s the movie’s ambition,...
The film follows the decades-long saga of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cervical cancer cells were used anonymously to change the course of cancer treatment. Winfrey stars as Lacks’ daughter Deborah, who wrestles with the medical ethics surrounding this case.
Read More: Oprah Winfrey in Talks to Star in Lee Daniels’ ‘Terms of Endearment’ Remake
George C. Wolfe wrote and directed the project, and Winfrey is on board as an executive producer, alongside “True Blood” mastermind Alan Ball. The film also stars Rose Byrne, Courtney B. Vance and “Hamilton” alum Renée Elise Goldsberry. The movie is based on Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 best-selling nonfiction book of the same name.
“The book connects the epic with the intimate, and that’s the movie’s ambition,...
- 2/17/2017
- by William Earl
- Indiewire
There’s a lot we owe to Henrietta Lacks, a black woman whose life was cut short in 1951, but not before doctors could harvest some of her cells, “immortal” cells that provided the foundation for staggering medical breakthroughs. Lacks died at 31, leaving behind a daughter, who investigated her mother’s history with the help of journalist Rebecca Skloot. The story became the nonfiction book, The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, which has been adapted for film by producers Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball, as well as writer-director George C. Wolfe.
This first teaser for the HBO film takes us through some of those chapters, including Lacks’ visit to the hospital, the doctors’ insistence that she not be named (and therefore, never credited) in any of the studies that were done on the cells they illegally harvested, to the way that event still echoes through her daughter Dorothy’s ...
This first teaser for the HBO film takes us through some of those chapters, including Lacks’ visit to the hospital, the doctors’ insistence that she not be named (and therefore, never credited) in any of the studies that were done on the cells they illegally harvested, to the way that event still echoes through her daughter Dorothy’s ...
- 2/17/2017
- by Danette Chavez
- avclub.com
Henrietta Lacks’ living family members are planning to file suit against Johns Hopkins University for the unauthorized use of the late Maryland woman’s cells, which have famously lead to numerous medical advances over the years.
The Baltimore Sun reported on Wednesday that Henrietta’s son, Lawrence Lacks, has obtained an attorney to argue that by using his mother’s cells without permission, Johns Hopkins has violated her “personal rights, privacy and body parts.”
The cells taken from the 31-year-old, who died of an aggressive form of cervical cancer in 1951, were the first to live outside the body in a glass tube.
The Baltimore Sun reported on Wednesday that Henrietta’s son, Lawrence Lacks, has obtained an attorney to argue that by using his mother’s cells without permission, Johns Hopkins has violated her “personal rights, privacy and body parts.”
The cells taken from the 31-year-old, who died of an aggressive form of cervical cancer in 1951, were the first to live outside the body in a glass tube.
- 2/16/2017
- by Lindsay Kimble
- PEOPLE.com
HBO said today that The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne, will premiere at 8 Pm Saturday, April 22. It’s the true story of the African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line. Told through the eyes of her daughter, Deborah Lacks (Winfrey), the HBO Films project chronicles her search, with the help of journalist Rebecca Skloot (Byrne), to learn about the mother she never knew and understand…...
- 2/14/2017
- Deadline TV
Now that we know when HBO plans to premiere its telepic based on “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” the non-fiction book by Rebecca Skloot (April), while we wait those 3 months, you’re encouraged to watch the below BBC documentary on… Continue Reading →...
- 1/16/2017
- by shadowandact
- ShadowAndAct
Tony Winner Renee Elise Goldsberry Joins Oprah Winfrey in HBO's The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
According to BlackFilm, Tony winner and Hamilton star Renee Elise Goldsberry will join previously announced Oprah Winfrey in HBO Films' The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, based on Rebecca Skloot's critically acclaimed, bestselling nonfiction book of the same name. DGA winner, Emmy nominee and veteran Broadway director-producer George C. Wolfe Broadway's Shuffle Along, HBO's 'Lackawanna Blues' Tony winner for 'Angels in America' will direct from his screenplay.
- 7/26/2016
- by TV News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Rose Byrne has joined the cast of The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, on which cameras will soon be rolling. The HBO Films project aims to tell the story of the late Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cancer cells were harvested without permission in 1951, and were used to create numerous medical breakthroughs – including the first immortal line of cells.
Now commonly referred to as the HeLa line, the immortal line of cells was first created by George Otto Gey – using Henrietta Lacks’ cells. This cell line comprises cells that would not normally multiply indefinitely, but do so due to mutation. The story of Henrietta Lacks and her role in vital medical advancements was relatively little known until Rebecca Skloot finally published her book, The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, after researching and writing the book for ten years.
Written and directed by George C Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues), the film is produced...
Now commonly referred to as the HeLa line, the immortal line of cells was first created by George Otto Gey – using Henrietta Lacks’ cells. This cell line comprises cells that would not normally multiply indefinitely, but do so due to mutation. The story of Henrietta Lacks and her role in vital medical advancements was relatively little known until Rebecca Skloot finally published her book, The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, after researching and writing the book for ten years.
Written and directed by George C Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues), the film is produced...
- 7/18/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
Rose Byrne is set to star opposite Oprah Winfrey in HBO's upcoming feature "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks".
Based on Rebecca Skloot's nonfiction best-seller of the same name, the biopic tells the story of Henrietta Lacks (Winfrey), a poor black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951.
Without her consent, pieces of the tumor that killed her were removed and used for medical exploration and to build a billion-dollar research industry.
Byrne will play Skloot, a young journalist who formed a close bond with Henrietta's charismatic yet complicated daughter Deborah as part of her effort to tell the story of Henrietta's 'immortal' cells.
Winfrey, Alan Ball, Peter Macdissi, Carla Gardini and Lydia Dean Pilcher will executive produce. George C. Wolfe ("Lackawanna Blues," "Angels in America") wrote the screenplay and will direct the film which begins production this summer.
Source: The Live Feed...
Based on Rebecca Skloot's nonfiction best-seller of the same name, the biopic tells the story of Henrietta Lacks (Winfrey), a poor black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951.
Without her consent, pieces of the tumor that killed her were removed and used for medical exploration and to build a billion-dollar research industry.
Byrne will play Skloot, a young journalist who formed a close bond with Henrietta's charismatic yet complicated daughter Deborah as part of her effort to tell the story of Henrietta's 'immortal' cells.
Winfrey, Alan Ball, Peter Macdissi, Carla Gardini and Lydia Dean Pilcher will executive produce. George C. Wolfe ("Lackawanna Blues," "Angels in America") wrote the screenplay and will direct the film which begins production this summer.
Source: The Live Feed...
- 7/16/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
You patience shall be rewarded in less than three weeks. Kirsten Storms is set to return as General Hospital‘s Maxie on Wednesday, Aug. 3, an ABC rep tells TVLine.
The soap vet took a leave of absence back in May because of “breakouts due to stress,” she explained on Twitter. After all, Storms added, “in this biz, appearance is important.”
Related12 Soap Characters Who Are Heading Into Red-Hot Summer Storylines
Days of Our Lives alumna Molly Burnett has been playing Maxie since early July. (And no, there are zero updates on Tyler Christopher‘s status as Nikolas.)
Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets?...
The soap vet took a leave of absence back in May because of “breakouts due to stress,” she explained on Twitter. After all, Storms added, “in this biz, appearance is important.”
Related12 Soap Characters Who Are Heading Into Red-Hot Summer Storylines
Days of Our Lives alumna Molly Burnett has been playing Maxie since early July. (And no, there are zero updates on Tyler Christopher‘s status as Nikolas.)
Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets?...
- 7/15/2016
- TVLine.com
Coincidentally, I’m recently re-reading “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” the non-fiction book by Rebecca Skloot, which Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films optioned in 2010, to adapt into a feature film for HBO. Our last update on the project was earlier this year, when it was… Continue Reading →...
- 7/15/2016
- by Tambay Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
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