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.
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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.