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The Queen of Sheba, a powerful figure in Ethiopian history, is the focus of a new drama series in development at Hulu’s Onyx Collective. The series is co-created by Chantelle Wells and actress-writer-producer Azie Tesfai, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Eritrean immigrants who grew up in Ethiopia. She is an only child. Tesfai received a degree in business administration from UC Berkeley. While at Berkeley, she began attending auditions and acting classes. She honed her craft and later landed roles in various TV shows and movies such as “Supergirl” and “Jane the Virgin”
In addition to her successful acting career, Tesfai is also an entrepreneur. She founded jewelry company Fortuned Culture in Los Angeles. Proceeds from sales help children in developing countries like Mexico, Ethiopia and Cambodia. The company aims to give back to underprivileged communities and make a positive impact on the world.
The series tells the story of the rise to power of the first queen on the continent of Africa as she seeks to unite the nation now known as Ethiopia, making it one of the richest, most formidable kingdoms in the world. The series, which is inspired by true events, follows the queen, named Makeda, as she navigates a world of danger, deceit, and political intrigue. Ryan Coogler and his production company Proximity Media are also involved as executive producers, alongside Kalia King, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler. Wells will write the script.
This is the first scripted series to come out of Coogler’s overall deal with Onyx, which focuses on stories of underrepresented communities. Tesfai, who is also writing “The Chase” for NBC, came up with the idea and brought it to Proximity with Wells then recruited to pen the script. It’s unclear if Tesfai, who is the first Ethiopian person to ever portray a comic book superhero on screen in The CW’s Supergirl, will have an on-screen part in addition to her role as executive producer.
