Private Project

WILLIE GETS NAKED!

Following their 2019 solo cabaret show of the same name, WILLIE the GENIUS, entertainer par excellence stars in this docu-series and late-night talk show which chronicles their misadventures as they prepare for a theater run to take their solo-show to the bright lights of Broadway. WILLIE interviews other stars, luminaries, activists, family, community members, and friends along the way while taking the audience on a journey through unfamiliar and often uncomfortable territory towards liberation and self-realization in a manner that is both raw and unfiltered.

This "Arsenio Hall" meets "In Living Color" meets "Rupaul's Drag Race" series is a well-researched irreverent news and variety show from an entertaining, culturally-relevant, Afro-Queer point of view.

  • Lisa Janae
    Co-Director
  • Shaunese Crawford
    Co-Director
  • WILLIE the GENIUS
    Writer
  • WILLIE the GENIUS
    Producer
  • Pamela Largaespada
    Producer
  • Gabe C. Elder
    Producer
  • Pamela Largaespada
    Story Producer
  • WILLIE the GENIUS
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Television, Other
  • Genres:
    Late-Night Talk Show, Docuseries
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 17 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Lisa Janae is an American actress, filmmaker, and founder of TERRA Visuals, an award-winning production company focused on creating projects grounded in social commentary. Janae graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a film degree and quickly found interest and success in working internationally for the United Nations and Peace Corps. After receiving a masters degree from Columbia University in 2016, they navigated from a career in international development, and began acting in off-Broadway shows and smaller film projects. Janae has been featured in various roles including on HBO's Full Circle (2023), FBI: Most Wanted (2020), Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021), and B-Sides (2021). Behind the camera, Janae's work ranges from documentary to commercials and can be seen on Amazon, Hulu and TED-Ed, among other leading collaborators.

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