Lena Waithe wants to do a Mary Tyler Moore movie

Style Magazine Newswire | 4/3/2018, 11:54 a.m.
Lena Waithe fully appreciates that some people may not understand her passion project. "The Chi" creator is riding high in …
Lena Waithe

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) -- Lena Waithe fully appreciates that some people may not understand her passion project.

"The Chi" creator is riding high in Hollywood right now.

From her buzzed about Vanity Fair cover to her recent big-screen debut in Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One," not to mention her critically acclaimed role in "Master of None" and her designation as the first African-American woman to win a writing Emmy for her work on that series, Waithe is garnering attention.

She told The Hollywood Reporter that she'd next like to do a film about one of her heroes -- Mary Tyler Moore.

"I don't think people are expecting that from a black lesbian from the South Side of Chicago," Waithe said. "But, I read her autobiography more times than I can count."

The actress said she became obsessed with "The Mary Tyler Moore" show and greatly admires the late actress, who died last year at the age of 80.

"She was a feminist in every sense of the word, but she was also a functioning alcoholic. She was also extremely private," Waithe said. "She had MTM [Enterprises]. MTM produced 'St. Elsewhere,' 'Lou Grant' and all these other amazing shows. I feel like, I want to tell her story."

Waithe said she's "still a queer black girl" who also wants to tell a James Baldwin story, but she glories in her varied interests.

"I think the reason that people sometimes tend to be so fascinated about me is they're always surprised by the things that come out of my mouth," she said. "I'm going to keep surprising people."

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