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Television queen Oprah Winfrey's life now on big screen
by Silky Chandvani - July 13, 2010 - comments
56-year-old Winfrey has shared almost all the ups and downs of her life with her viewers but rumors are rife that nothing she said is true.
Oprah Winfrey, an American television personage who is often touted as “one of the most influential woman in the world” would see her life casted in motion picture by veteran filmmaker Larry A. Thompson.
The movie will be based on Kitty Kelley’s controversial book Oprah: A Biography.Thompson has acquired the rights to her biography on Winfrey and is planning to turn it into a TV film.
The director admitted that he is having a tough time finding the right actress to play Winfrey and will audition both known and unknown actresses, Contactmusic.com reported.
"Oprah Winfrey's fascinating journey from rural Mississippi to the world stage is packed with simple truths and complicated personalities. Casting someone to play Oprah will be the real challenge," Thompson said.
Hollywoodnews.com reported Kelley as saying, “Few Hollywood filmmakers are as experienced as Larry Thompson at understanding and dramatically exploring the emotional complexities of famous people.”
Winfrey: real and reel life
'The Oprah Winfrey Show' host, known for unveiling the real lives of celebrities, came under the media glare when celebrity biographer Kelley's mentioned her as a “self teen prostitute”.
In her 23-year-career as America’s most influential national talk-show host, 56-year-old Winfrey has shared almost all the ups and downs of her life with her viewers but rumors are rife that nothing she said is true.
“There are so many secrets in her life, secrets about her relationships, secrets within her family,” Kelley had said.
The book challenged the veracity of “Winfrey’s relationship with longtime ‘love’ Stedman Graham, her reputed dirt-poor upbringing in rural Mississippi, [and] her rumored lesbian crushes on women such as Diane Sawyer,” reported The New York Post.
Hollywoodnews.com reported Kelley as saying, “Few Hollywood filmmakers are as experienced as Larry Thompson at understanding and dramatically exploring the emotional complexities of famous people.”
“That’s why I was pleased that he chose my book upon which to base his movie. Compelling biographies of great people must separate myth from fact and hype from truth,” she added.
The deal
Both Thompson and Kelley have extensive experience in portraying biographical lives of the world’s most revered icons.
Kelley has written bestselling tell-alls on Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, England’s Royal Family, Nancy Reagan, and the Bush Family.
Further, Thompson is known for producing critically-acclaimed movies about 'Sonny & Cher,' 'The Duke & Duchess of Windsor'. His latest movie, 'Amish Grace' is the most-watched and highest-rated movie in the history of Lifetime Movie Network.
The agreement with Larry A. Thompson Organization, Inc. for Kelley’s book, Oprah A Biography, was negotiated by her agent, Wayne S. Kabak.
Winfrey's spokesperson has declined to comment on the news.