Aunjanue Ellis will play the lead role in Caste, Ava DuVernay’s film adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Deadline reports.
Wilkerson’s book, published in 2020 by Random House, is a nonfiction account of social hierarchies in the U.S., particularly as they relate to race. The book was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; it was selected by Oprah Winfrey for her influential book club. A critic for Kirkus called it “a memorable, provocative book that exposes an American history in which few can take pride.”
An adaptation of the book for young adults was published in November.
Ellis is known for her roles in films including Men of Honor, Ray, and The Help, and television series including True Blood and The Mentalist. She was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in the 2021 film King Richard.
DuVernay is writing, producing, and directing the adaptation of Caste, which will air on Netflix, also home to the filmmaker’s documentary The 13th and series When They See Us. Ellis acted in the latter show, and was nominated for an Emmy for her role.
Caste is currently shooting in Georgia, with plans to film in India and Germany in the future.
“Isabel Wilkerson’s work as a storyteller has ignited my imagination and inspired new ways for me to think about social order around the world,” DuVernay told Deadline. “It’s been an honor to spend time with her and to deeply engage with her book. I thank her for the grace and kindness she has shown me as I attempt to share her ideas with a film audience.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
