Rose Byrne has signed on for a role in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks film adaptation. She (pictured, via) has become well-known for starring in several high-profile movies including X-Men: Apocalypse, Annie, and Bridesmaids.
The Wrap reports that the inspiration behind this HBO television movie comes from Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 nonfiction book. Byrne will be playing Skloot.
Earlier this year, HBO announced that Oprah Winfrey will portray Deborah Lacks (the daughter of Henrietta). According to The Hollywood Reporter, “the biopic tells the story of Henrietta Lacks (Winfrey), a poor black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Without her consent, pieces of the tumor that killed her were removed and used for medical exploration and to build a billion-dollar research industry.” (via The Mary Sue)