Kiersey Clemons is headed to Wall Street. The “Transparent” actress has signed on to portray Lauren Simmons, the youngest woman in the history of the New York Stock Exchange and the second black woman to work there as a full-time trader, Variety reports. Clemons will produce the film as well.
Hailing from indie AGC Studios, which picked up the rights to Simmons’ life story, the untitled project will also be produced by Clemons’ managers, Starr Andreeff and Eddie Galan.
Simmons arrived in New York from Georgia with a genetics degree, the source details. “She responded to a LinkedIn posting for a job in the financial industry. In order to get hired, she had to take the grueling Series 19 exam with no formal background and only one month to prepare.” She passed the test and got the job.
Along with her supporting role on “Transparent,” Clemons is best known for her turns in comedy crime adventure “Dope” and Netflix anthology series “Easy.” She played one half of a father-daughter music duo in this summer’s “Hearts Beat Loud.” You can catch her next in the upcoming fourth season of “Angie Tribeca” and Disney’s CGI and live-action remake of “Lady and the Tramp,” currently in post-production. She’ll play Joanne in next year’s “Rent: Live” on Fox.
“For black girls specifically, it’s always this thing of you can be outspoken and badass and stick-it-to-the-man and I’m a rebel, or you can say everything people want to hear that’s rebellious enough but still [be] the American black princess,” Clemons has said. “There’s no in between — which is where I feel like … I lie. And it’s difficult and it’s hard because you’re expected to pick a side.”