Recently, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network hosted a private screening event at The Lot in West Hollywood to celebrate the premiere of “Greenleaf” the network’s highly anticipated new original drama series. The family megachurch series, which features Oprah’s first recurring scripted television role in two decades, takes viewers into the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis church where scandalous secrets and lies are as numerous as the faithful. After the screening, Oprah gave welcoming remarks and invited guests to join her at the Memphis BBQ reception that followed.
“Greenleaf” will launch with a two-night premiere on Tuesday, June 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and Wednesday, June 22 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN. The series will regularly air on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT for the remainder of its 13-episode first season.
Attendees included Oprah Winfrey (Executive Producer and recurring role as Mavis McCready) along with “Greenleaf” cast members Merle Dandridge (Grace Greenleaf), Keith David (Bishop James Greenleaf), Lynn Whitfield (Lady Mae Greenleaf), Kim Hawthorne (Kerissa Greenleaf), Lamman Rucker (Jacob Greenleaf), Tye White (Kevin Satterlee), Deborah Joy Winans (Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee), Desiree Ross (Sophia Greenleaf), GregAlan Williams (“Mac McCready”), Benjamin Patterson (“Noah Kendall”), Kristin Erickson (“Alexa”), Anna Diop (“Isabel”), Terri Abney (“Faith Greenleaf”), Zachary S. Williams (“William”), Jason Dirden (“Bassie Skanks”), Deji LaRay (“David Nelson”), plus Craig Wright (Executive Producer/Creator), Clement Virgo (Executive Producer/Director), Erik Logan (President, OWN), Kevin Beggs (Chairman, Lionsgate Television), and Sandra Stern (President, Lionsgate Television Group). Additional attendees include Niecy Nash (Scream Queens), David Oyelowo (Selma) and more.
PHOTOS (Photo Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images and Jason Kempin/Getty Images
- L-R – Desiree Ross, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, Zachary S. Williams, Kristin Erickson, Debra Joy Winans, Deji LaRay, Benjamin Patterson, GregAlan Williams, Lynn Whitfield, Tye White, Oprah Winfrey, Keith David, Terri Abney, and Anna Diop at OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Los Angeles Premiere of “Greenleaf”; (Photo Credit: Getty Images Mark Davis)
About “Greenleaf”;
The new original drama series “Greenleaf” from award-winning writer/producer Craig Wright (“Lost,” “Six Feet Under,” “Brothers and Sisters”) takes viewers into the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch, where scandalous secrets and lies are as numerous as the faithful. Born of the church, the Greenleaf family love and care for each other, but beneath the surface lies a den of iniquity — greed, adultery, sibling rivalry and conflicting values — that threatens to tear apart the very core of their faith that holds them together. “Greenleaf” stars Merle Dandridge (“The Night Shift”) as Grace “Gigi” Greenleaf; Keith David (“Community”) as Bishop James Greenleaf; Lynn Whitfield (“The Josephine Baker Story”) as Lady Mae Greenleaf; Kim Hawthorne (“Rake”) as Kerissa Greenleaf; Lamman Rucker (“Meet the Browns”) as Jacob Greenleaf; Tye White (“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) as Kevin Satterlee; Deborah Joy Winans (“Whitney”) as Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee; Desiree Ross (“Falling Skies”) as Sophia; and Oprah Winfrey (“Selma”) in a recurring role as Mavis McCready. “Greenleaf” is produced for OWN by Lionsgate Television. Executive producers are Oprah Winfrey, Craig Wright and Clement Virgo.
About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts inform the brand – and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection. And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and press.discovery.com/us/own.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a premier next generation global content leader with a diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, international distribution and sales, branded channel platforms, interactive ventures and games, and location-based entertainment. The Company has nearly 80 television shows on 40 different networks spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication businesses. These include the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the New Black, the hit broadcast network series Nashville, the syndication successes The Wendy Williams Show and Celebrity Name Game (with FremantleMedia), the breakout series The Royals and the Golden Globe-nominated dramedy Casual.
The Company’s feature film business spans eight labels and includes the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, the Now You See Me, Divergent and John Wick series, Sicario, The Age of Adaline, Roadside Attractions’ Love & Mercy and Mr. Holmes, Codeblack Films’; Addicted and breakout concert film Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain and Pantelion Films’ Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.
Lionsgate’s home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as a foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world. www.lionsgate.com