Elijah Kelley to Star in Lee Daniels’ Sammy Davis Jr. Series for Hulu
Hulu has given Lee Daniels’ Sammy Davis Jr. series a full season order with Elijah Kelley starring as the late music legend.
The so far untitled limited series will consist of eight episodes and is based on Wil Haygood’s book In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr., per Deadline. Daniels will direct the first two episodes, and Kelley will help create the show’s original music. The series premiere date and other casting announcements will be made at a later time.
“Sammy Davis, Jr. rose from childhood stardom on the vaudeville stage to become one of the most famous African American entertainers of the 1950s and ’60s (and the only Black member of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack),” the logline describes. “At the same time, he spent most of his career surrounded by controversy and ridicule — over his affairs with white film stars, his 1960 marriage to Swedish actress May Britt, his conversion to Judaism, his closeness to the Kennedys (and later Richard Nixon), and his problems with alcohol and drugs.”
Kelley has proven his musical and dancing chops time and again in titles like Hairspray and NBC’s The Wiz Live! He previously worked with Daniels on Lee Daniels’ The Butler and FOX’s Star, and also starred in BET’s The New Edition Story.
Daniels has been trying to bring this project to the small screen for years. It was nearly made into an HBO movie in 2013, and the project was reported as a rumored miniseries back in 2019. It’s finally found its home at Hulu, and Daniels will co-write it in addition to executive producing and directing. Kelley will also serve as producer.
The series will be developed by 20th Century Studios through Daniels’ overall deal. Thomas Westfall will serve as co-executive producer and co-writer, while Haygood will produce. Marc Toberoff will also serve as an executive producer. A production start date has not been announced.
Lee Daniels Sammy Davis Jr. Limited Series, Title and Release Date TBA, Hulu
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services