EXCLUSIVE: BET+ and MegaMind Media are collaborating on the true crime biopic Combating To Be Me: The Dwen Curry Story, starring Dyllón Burnside (Pose), D.B. Woodside (9-1-1: Lone Star) and A.J. Johnson (Child Boy). Curry was first featured within the BET+ hit unscripted sequence American Gangster: Lure Queens.
From author La Jill Hunt, the biopic is predicated on the real-life story of Dwen Curry, born amid the notorious Detroit riots of the late sixties, and raised throughout the top of the eighties crack cocaine epidemic. The true crime drama tackles the subjects of affection and identification whereas diving into Curry’s advanced life experiences as a homosexual celeb stylist in Oakland who secretly financed a lavish life-style by fraudulently buying hundreds of thousands to construct a prison empire and survive the violent road life-style.
Official synopsis from BET+: “Based mostly on a robust true-life story, Detroit native Dwen Curry strikes to Oakland, California as a teen within the early 90s and overcomes despair, suicidal ideas and drug dependancy. There he finds success as a salon proprietor and celeb stylist to LisaRaye McCoy, Mariah Carey, YoYo, Missy Elliot, DMX, and extra.
Fueled by his need for a lavish life-style and a drive to deal with these round him, Dwen leads a secret life because the prison mastermind of an underground group often known as the Homosexual Gangsters, making hundreds of thousands from fraud. Dwen’s life is much more difficult by his sexuality, identification, and struggles with self-acceptance as Dwen journeys from being a homosexual man to totally accepting herself as transgender. Dwen’s rise to celeb is adopted by her fall when she is convicted of wire fraud and despatched to jail. This coming-of-age story is crammed with glitz, glamor, and gangster strikes as we witness Dwen’s trials and eventual triumphs to not solely survive however to face sturdy in her genuine fact.”
Tressa Azarel Smallwood, Decide Greg Mathis, Dwen Curry, Donte Lee, and Delece James function govt producers on Combating To Be Me: The Dwen Curry Story, with Joe Carroll set to direct. Vanda Lee, Kristin Iris Johnson, and Smallwood are producing the movie for MegaMind Media.
The primary biopic primarily based on the BET+ American Gangster: Lure Queens sequence, First Girl of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story, additionally govt produced by Smallwood and Mathis, earned nominations for Excellent Unique Tv Film and Excellent Directing In A Tv Film for Vivica A. Fox, on the 2024 NAACP Picture Awards.
Burnside is finest identified to audiences for his efficiency as ‘Ricky’ within the Ryan Murphy and Steven Canal’s Emmy-nominated FX sequence Pose. He has additionally appeared in Ryan Murphy’s Monster reverse Evan Peters and the American Horror Tales anthology sequence. He served because the host and producer of Prideland, a one-hour particular and short-form digital sequence for PBS that gained a Daytime Emmy and acquired a GLAAD Award nomination.
On stage, he most just lately appeared in London’s West Finish manufacturing of Black Superhero on the Royal Court docket and on Broadway within the play Ideas of a Coloured Man by Keenan Scott II, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. Burnside made his Broadway debut in 2014, starring in Holler if Ya Hear Me, a hip-hop musical impressed by the music and lyrics of Tupac Shakur.