It turns out – no real surprise – the story of what Larry Wilmore of “The Nightly Show” called “that crazy white lady” Rachel Dolezal who pretended to be black has a (tenuous) local angle.
Melissa Luck, executive producer of KXLY-TV, the Spokane station that helped break the story, is a Milwaukee native and a Marquette University alum.
Her father was sportscaster Rod Luck, who spent four years at WISN-TV (Channel 12) and did play-by-play announcing for Marquette basketball.
(Photo from Melissa Luck ).
In a story Luck posted on the station’s website she talks about how she and other journalists had “heard rumblings that Dolezal was not being truthful about her race” for years.
Most recently the station investigated “the validity” of complaints of a hate crime filed by Dolezal and contacted her parents in Montana, who confirmed that she was white. Believing that she was being interviewed by the station about the hate crime, Dolezal walked out when questioned about her race.
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Mequon native John Ridley, creator of “American Crime” for ABC, isn’t the only filmmaker with state ties to turn to television. (Although that ABC has picked up “Presence,” a new detective series from Ridley, along with a second season of “Crime.” And he is working on a Marvel project).
The show business magazine “Spider-man” director Marc Webb, a Madison native, has signed a two year deal with CBS TV. According to Variety he will develop new network and cable projects and direct for the studio.
Webb is executive producer of the new series “Limitless,” based on the 2011 film about a man who can access 100% of his brain – co-produced by the film’s star Bradley Cooper.”
He is also executive producer of the upcoming CW series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
Webb directed the “The Amazing Spider-Man” in 2012, and its 2014 sequel but will not direct the third film in the series. He also directed the romantic comedy “(500) Days of Summer.”
Tags: Marc Webb, Melissa Luck, Rachel Dolezal, Rod Luck, Spider-man Posted by