Simona Brown to star & play Melony Armstrong in Dianne Houston’s ‘Freedom Hair’
Deadline reports that Simona Brown (Behind Her Eyes) has been tapped to lead the drama Freedom Hair, from Oscar-nominated writer-director Dianne Houston, which enters production in Atlanta this month.
Produced by MPI, Freedom Hair is based on the true story of Melony Armstrong (Brown), a determined mother who sets out to start a natural hair braiding business to achieve financial independence but must overcome unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cosmetology cartel and the state of Mississippi. Melony’s efforts led to thousands of African American women in the state of Mississippi following in her footsteps and realizing their own entrepreneurial dreams.
Freedom Hair‘s ensemble will also include Lynda Gravatt (Broadway’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Sharon Conley (The Hunger Games), Marquita Goings (Woke) and Erica Tazel (Truth Be Told).
Stacey Parks, Lana Link, and Rob Pfaltzgraff are producing, with Melony Armstrong, Kim Coleman and Nick Reid serving as executive producers.
Brown was last seen in the Netflix series Behind Her Eyes. Houston, who has written and directed numerous TV projects, was an Oscar nominee for her 1995 short Tuesday Morning Ride. That nomination made her the first African-American woman nominated for Short Film (Live Action)