Oprah Winfrey to star in Henrietta Lacks movie

Media mogul takes role as the daughter of Baltimore woman who unwittingly contributed to vital medical research

Oprah Winfrey is to take on a rare acting role in a new film about Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cells became instrumental in the field of medical research.

According to Deadline, the media mogul will headline The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a film for HBO that she will also executive produce. Winfrey has teamed up with Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, and George C Wolfe, best known for his stage work, who will write and direct.