Photo: Art Streiber
In as recent panel at Sundance Film Festival, Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer praised NBA star LeBron James for being not only a great athlete, but also an advocate for equal pay as well.
According to IndieWire, Spencer told the crowd at the “Women Breaking Barriers” panel that it was James who had to step in to negotiate some of her deals for their upcoming Netflix series on America’s first woman to become a self-made millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker.
“I have to say, when I was negotiating my deal for ‘Madam C.J.’ LeBron James had to intervene,” she said. “So we need all of our male counterparts to be in the fight with us.”
In an interview earlier this month with ESPN’s The Undefeated, Spencer said that it was both James and his partner, Maverick Carter, whose leadership helped her to get the things she needed for the project.
“He and Maverick…that type of leadership has been important, and I’m thrilled about it,” she said. “When I asked for certain things, they had to go and say, ‘She deserves these things!’ It’s sad that we have to do that, but they did, and that’s what I’m working with: people who have no problem standing up.”
In 2017, Spencer and James announced their partnership on the Netflix project, where they will both executive produce the series, and Spencer will also star as Walker.
“Every American should all know the story of Madam C.J. Walker,” James said. “She was an innovator, entrepreneur, social activist and total game-changer whose story has been left out of the history books. I hope this project lives up to her legacy with a story that will educate and inspire.”
Right now, there is no set date for when the Netflix series will air, but Spencer did tell ESPN’s The Undefeated that they are in pre-production.