Georgia Entertainment Scene
Georgia Entertainment Scene

Janelle Monae to star in second season of Amazon’s ‘Homecoming’

The singer-actress will replace Julia Roberts in a lead role

Janelle Monáe to Star in Season 2 of Amazon Series 'Homecoming' She replaces Oscar-winner Julia Roberts, whose contract for the show did not extend past the first season. According to 'The Hollywood Reporter,' Roberts' departure revolves around the psychological thrillers storyline. 'THR' adds that despite Roberts leaving the show, she will still stay on as an executive producer. In terms of the program's new leading star, the Grammy-winning Monáe will play a woman with amnesia. When viewers first meet he
By Melissa Ruggieri
July 23, 2019

Janelle Monae has earned eight Grammy nominations and starred in Oscar-bait movies (“Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures”), and now the musician-actress-activist will tackle streaming TV.

Monae will topline the second season of Amazon’s “Homecoming,” succeeding Julia Roberts, who led the series on a one-year deal. Roberts will continue as an executive producer on the show, which was created by “Mr. Robot”’s Sam Esmail.

>>RELATED: Janelle Monae returns to Atlanta with thoughtful, invigorating show

Janelle Monae performs at Music Midtown

Monae’s character is described as a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in a canoe with no memory of who is she or how she got there. In the first season, Roberts’ character, Heidi Bergman, was a caseworker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center, which helped soldiers transition back to civilian life.

The return to acting fits Monae’s timeline, as she spent 2018 supporting her genre-defying third album, “Dirty Computer,” with an extensive tour. In February, the release was nominated for album of the year and best music video at the 61st annual Grammy Awards.

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About the Author

Melissa Ruggieri has covered music and entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2010 and created the Atlanta Music Scene blog. She's kept vampire hours for more than two decades and remembers when MTV was awesome.

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