Michael B.Jordan and Oprah worked together to bring a new series to life.
“David Makes Man” is the latest show to join the OWN Network family. The 10-episode feature is inspired by “Moonlight” writer, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s life. David, who is played by Akili McDowell, is a young 14-year-old boy stuck in a difficult stage of being forced to grow up fast. Dealing with the death of his best friend and being the man to get his family out of poverty are just pinches of pressure David endures. He’s sent off to a school for gifted children to create a brighter future for himself and household.
Jordan took on a different role from his norm as the star on screen. Instead, the baller worked behind the scenes with the legendary talk show host turned television producer.
However, the decision to take on the executive producer position was easy since he felt he could relate to David. According to Vanity Fair, the actor stated, “I was one of those kids, part of the gifted program, and I never heard someone else articulate the thoughts I had in my head. The mask I put on when I do these auditions when I go to school—there is a game you play to accomplish the pitfalls and obstacles you come across coming from the ’hood. I just never heard anyone say it out loud. And it was on the page. And I wanted to be a part of it.”
McCraney detailed Oprah’s excitement to air the project by calling it “the greatest one [pitch] of all time.” His passion to tell the story an adolescent African American boy in a challenging environment of being the only black person in a school full of white students is what sold her.
“I told her [the series] was set in the distant present, and what I meant was I wanted to talk about things that continue to happen currently for young black folks. I needed to tell those stories. And I wanted to do it in a series so we can keep coming back to the question of who you are, where you come from, and what happened to you.”
Be ready to tune into the OWN network for the “David Makes Man” premiere later this year.
