Last year, BBC One greenlit an hour-long documentary on will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas fame, which was to follow Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley, as she travels to Los Angeles to meet will.i.am on his home turf – spending time with him at his mansion in Los Feliz, meeting his friends and family, and returning with him to his childhood home in the social housing projects of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles.
Per the press release, she accompanied will.i.am as he journeyed back to his old elementary school where the course of his life was changed forever by an inspirational teacher, and watches him compose and create a special song about his mother.
“I have long been fascinated by will.i.am and leapt at the chance of meeting him and finding out more about his extraordinary life and achievements. He was everything I had hoped he would be, and more: charming, articulate, a whirlwind of ambition and talent, as sweet as pie and as dandy as a peacock,” Joanna Lumley said. “The film we made together is truly a rare thing, a side of will.i.am the public hasn’t seen yet, with interviews with friends, family and colleagues, and affording a glimpse into the life of the musician, entrepreneur and philanthropist that has made will.i.am a household name and a megastar.”
Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC One, added: “In this very special documentary for BBC One, Joanna Lumley spends time with the intriguing will.i.am, hanging out with his friends and family and delving into his background to find out just what motivates this extraordinarily driven individual who seems more than anybody else to define the pace, energy and creativity of the time in which we live.”
Titled Joanna Lumley Meets will.i.am, the documentary special was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller, BBC One and Emma Willis, Head of Documentary Commissioning.
The film is executive produced by Mark Wells for Rain Media Entertainment, Steven Lappin for Big Red Productions and Maxine Watson, Commissioning Editor for the BBC.
It was produced and directed by Adrian Sibley.
No premiere date yet, but BBC One has released a trailer for the upcoming special, which is embedded below. As the tagline reads: “Find out what happens when a national treasure meets a superstar hip hop producer…”
