Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, a Montgomery County native and 2011 graduate of Good Counsel in Olney, stars as young Celie in the remake of The Color Purple, which is now out in theaters. The actress held a private screening that was attended by many Good Counsel staff members at Regal in Germantown (video below).
The movie portrays the story of the life-long struggles of an African American woman living in the south during the early 1900s and is a remake of the 1985 classic film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah Winfrey that was directed by Steven Spielberg.
Mpasi plays the young version of lead character Celie Harris Johnson, with Fantasia Barrino playing the lead character as an older adult. Per a bio on Coverfly, Mpasi “is the joyful daughter of Congolese immigrants. An alumna of Elon University, this actress, writer, comedian, and singer was seen in Broadway’s The Lion King and desires to tell stories showcasing the excellence of underrepresented people through a comedic lens.”
The Color Purple was released on Christmas Day later this year and is produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg. The film earned $18 million on its opening day, the second-best Christmas Day premiere behind only Warner Bros.’ movie “Sherlock Holmes,” which brought in $24.6 million on Dec. 25, 2009 (per the LA Times). It also stars Prince George’s County native Taraji P. Henson, Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier, H.E.R, and more.
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