Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick have officially found the parents for
their upcoming six-part miniseries Colin in Black & White. And they’ve recruited some pretty notable actors for the parts.Netflix confirmed in a release that Mary-Louise Parker (
Weeds) and Nick Offerman (
Parks and Recreation) have joined the series as Teresa and Rick Kaepernick, the adoptive parents to the former NFL quarterback and freedom fighter. Their newly-inked deals have them starring alongside the previously announced Jaden Michael (
The Bug Diaries), who plays the high-school aged Kaepernick.
Colin in Black & White revolves around the footballer’s formative years as a Black teen growing up with a white family, and the challenges and bumps he faced trying to become a great quarterback while also defining his identity. Along the way the show will incorporate many of the acts and experiences that the young man had that helped him to develop into the freedom fighter and activist that he is today.The show was created by Kaepernick and DuVernay, and it is written by Emmy-nominee Michael Starrbury, who previously worked with DuVernay on another Netflix project,
When They See Us (he wrote the series’ fourth episode). In addition to producing, Kaepernick will also narrate the project, delving into what it means to raise a Black child in a predominantly white family and community.While many fans know Parker as the cannabis-dealing mom on
Weeds, the actor is also known for her stage work. Recently she won a Tony Award for lead actress in a play for her role in
The Sound Inside, a psychological thriller that digs into the relationship between a tenured professor and her student.For his part, Offerman is known as the manly, bacon-chomping character Ron Swanson on
Parks and Rec, but he has also proved his dramatic chops on shows like
Devs and
Fargo. And seems like next year will be a busy one for Offerman, since he’s lending his voice to the movies
The Great North and
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, and starring alongside Diane Kruger, Cary Elwes, Susan Sarandon, and Desmond Harrington in the John Kennedy Toole-centered
Butterfly in the Typewriter.For those who want a refresher, Kaepernick is the NFL player who in 2016
famously knelt during the national anthem in order to protest racial inequality in the United States, inspiring other athletes to do the same and igniting a controversial protest throughout the NFL. At the time Kaepernick played for the San Francisco 49ers, but he since opted out of his contract and is now a free agent. He continues fighting against injustice, and recently called for the release of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther who was convicted of killing a White police officer in 1981. Kaepernick believes the former radio reporter was framed for the killing and was not given a fair trial.“We're in the midst of a movement that says 'Black Lives Matter.' And if that's truly the case, then it means that Mumia's life and legacy must matter,” Kaepernick
said in a video on November 16. “And the causes that he sacrificed his life and freedom for must matter as well.”Netflix has not confirmed an official release date for
Colin in Black & White but the project is expected to drop on the streaming service sometime next year.[video_embed id='1978950']Before you go: Commissioner Roger Goodell says he would like to see Colin Kaepernick back in the NFL[/video_embed]
