Janelle Monáe is taking a little break from singing to focus on her second biggest passion – acting in female-driven movies about powerful women who transformed our world into a better place. She recently landed a key role in the upcoming biopic about the iconic freedom fighter Harriet Tubman.
Harriet tells the tale of Tubman’s escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad in the face of growing pre-Civil War adversity.
Tony winner Cynthia Erivo will portray the legendary abolitionist and political activist in this exciting project, directed by Kasi Lemmons. Her previous credits include critically acclaimed dramas Eve’s Bayou and Talk to Me.
Harriet won’t be the first film on Monáe’s resume focusing on a legendary heroine who changed the course of history. In 2016, she appeared in the role of mathematician and aerospace engineer Mary Jackson in Hidden Figures. This film followed a team of female African-American mathematicians who worked at the NASA during Space Race.
Janelle Monáe will soon be seen on screen in drama Welcome to Marwen. It centers on a man who constructs a miniature World War II village, as a way of coping with violent assault he endured. It will come out on December 21, and also stars Steve Carell, Leslie Mann and Merritt Wever.
