Emmy winner Niecy Nash (When They See Us, Claws) is set to star in Kidnapped: The Kamiyah Mobley Story, the first movie greenlit by Lifetime under the Robin Roberts Presents movie and documentary banner, from Rock’n Robin and Lincoln Square Productions. Production is currently underway on the movie, executive produced by award-winning journalist Roberts, and is slated for premiere in 2020.
Also starring Rayven Symone Ferrell (The Hate U Give) and Ta’Rhonda Jones (Empire), Kidnapped: The Kamiyah Mobley Story is the true story of a young woman who discovers at age 18, she was abducted as a baby and the family she knew to be hers, wasn’t hers at all. The film will be followed by a companion documentary featuring the real-life people depicted in the movie.
“I’m thrilled to share this young woman’s story and produce something so poignant for the Lifetime audience,” said Roberts, President of Rock’n Roberts Productions. “I can’t imagine anyone else tackling the complex role of Gloria than Niecy Nash. She’s a talented and versatile actress and I can’t wait to see it all come together.”
In the summer of 1998, Gloria Williams (Nash), reeling from a recent miscarriage, drove from her home in South Carolina and walked into a Jacksonville, Florida hospital posing as a nurse and took newborn Kamiyah Mobley (Ferrell) out of her mother Shanara Mobley’s (Jones) arms. By the time police were alerted, Gloria was long gone. Renaming the baby Alexis, Gloria raised her as her own, providing her with unconditional love and nurturing.
It wasn’t until years later, when Alexis applied for her first job and couldn’t provide a social security card or a birth certificate, that she realized something was wrong. After confronting Gloria, Alexis learned the truth, that she was really Kamiyah Mobley and abducted as a baby. Despite discovering the mother she knew was really her kidnapper, Alexis kept the secret as long as she could, until an anonymous tip soon led to Gloria’s arrest and their world came tumbling down.
Kidnapped: The Kamiyah Mobley Story is executive produced by Roberts, Linda Berman, Michele Samit, Richard Kletter and Gary Randall. Jeffrey Byrd (Jasper, Texas, Black Lightning) directs from a script written by Samit and Kletter.
Nash is an Emmy-winning producer and actress whose career includes roles in HBO’s Getting On, which earned her two Emmy nominations, Fox’s Scream Queens, Showtime’s Masters of Sex, Comedy Central’s Reno 911 and TV Land’s The Soul Man. Nash currently stars in the lead role of Desna in TNT’s drama,Claws. She also costars in Netflix’s mini-series When They See Us, directed by Ava Duvernay and based on the true story of the Central Park Five teenagers who were wrongfully accused and convicted of rape. Nash was the host and producer of the Style Network’s home makeover show, Clean House, for which she won a Daytime Emmy.
Ferrell recently guest starred on Chicago PD and also has appeared on Star, Greenleaf and Complications. She played Tupac’s sister in the Lionsgate feature All Eyez on Me and had supporting roles in The Hate U Give and BET’s The Bobby Brown Story. She just wrapped the feature The Violent Heart with Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Lukas Haas, Jovan Adepo, and Mary J. Blige. Ferrell is repped by Pantheon and J. Pervis Talent Agency.
Jones is known for her role as Pasha on Fox’s Empire. She was most recently seen on the big screen in Captive State.
Source: Deadline
