Essence Atkins, Lynn Whitfield & Jasmine Guy star in UP’s ‘My Other Mother’

Posted by | Ray Cornelius

UP presents the UP Original Movie My Other Mother, an emotional, heartwarming drama about a demanding national TV news anchor who reconnects with her equally-demanding birth mother.  Starring Essence Atkins, Lynn Whitfield and Jasmine Guy, My Other Mother will make its world television premiere on UP on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 7 p.m. EST.  Produced by Swirl Films, the film is directed by Stan Foster.  The ensemble cast also includes Greg Alan Williams, Angie Stone and Kendrick Cross.

 (Essence Atkins with Kendrick Cross)

In My Other Mother,  Candace “Candy” Meyers (Atkins) is a successful anchor on a top-rated national magazine show.  Fiercely independent and committed to her job, Candy doesn’t make many friends with her demanding, gruff nature.  In fact, her only true friend might be her long-time manager Lewis (Cross).  Candy discovers that an anonymous fan she’s had for years has passed way – and he was her biological father Freddy Nelson!  Content with the love and support of her adoptive family, Candy has never been curious about her biological parents.  That all changes when she travels back for her father’s funeral, meets the Nelson family – including biological uncle Abner (Williams), Freddy’s wife Delores (Stone) and her two step-brothers – and discovers that her reclusive, angry and stubborn birth mother, Mary Jo (Whitfield) is going to be a challenge.  The journey these two surprisingly similar women take getting to know each other will break down walls and open them up to a life they never knew was possible.

 (Jasmine Guy)

My Other Mother  marks the fifth film to be produced and air on UP as a direct result of the network’s highly successful “UP Faith & Family Screenplay Competition,” now in its fourth year.  The script is by Keronda “KiKi” McKnight, the Winner in last year’s UP Faith & Family Screenplay Competition at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

“We are thrilled to bring Keronda ‘KiKi’ McKnight’s impressive, winning script to life on UP as part of our ongoing commitment to the UP Faith & Family Screenplay Competition at ABFF,”  said Sophia Kelley, senior vice president of programming, UP.  “Viewers are going to enjoy seeing our outstanding leads – NAACP Image Award-winning Essence Atkins, Emmy® Award-winning Lynn Whitfield and NAACP Image Award-winning Jasmine Guy – acting toe-to-toe as daughter Candy, birth mother Mary Jo and adoptive mother Evelyn.”

My Other Mother  debuts on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 7 p.m. EST

 Photo Credits: Uptv