'Did Not Want To See My Show': UnPrisoned Creator Reveals Her Dad Real Nadine Died A Day Apart Before Series Launch

UnPrisoned creator Tracy McMillan uses comedy to depict her father's incarceration and its impact on the family, drawing from her own experiences to reduce stigma and bring humor to tough realities.

By Shovan Roy

Published on Jul 11, 2024 | 09:53 PM IST | 86.9K

UnPrisoned (PC: YouTube/Hulu)

A story about a man reuniting with his family after serving for decades would not typically be associated with comedy. Nonetheless, UnPrisoned, a Hulu series created and written by Tracy McMillan, had another approach. This has been influenced by her life experience as a foster child, while her father Harold spent 37 years of his life in jail.

Bringing personal experiences to life

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tracy McMillan says that everyone who ever gets arrested or jailed is surrounded by people who love them. "The goal was to make it safe to talk about this in a way. Because if it’s happening this much but no one’s talking about it, then how can I reduce the shame around this thing by putting it out there?" By treating the subject through humor, McMillan aims to make it less of an embarrassment.

In UnPrisoned, Paige (played by Kerry Washington) is someone she modeled on herself. Her father Edwin (Delroy Lindo) being incarcerated leads her to abandonment fears. As a result of being raised in part by Nadine (Brenda Strong), his girlfriend at the time, Paige grapples with the problems associated with an unconventional upbringing.

Lindo prepared for his role by spending time with McMillan’s father, Harold. However, Harold passed away six weeks before the series debuted in March 2023. Sharing this grimly humorous anecdote: “My dad passed like six weeks before the show came out, so he never saw it. And then the other thing that happened is he died on Jan. 21 [2023], and on Jan. 22, ‘Nadine’ died. Now, the dark comedy writer in me is like, ‘wow, these two really did not want to see my show.’

Creating UnPrisoned

She started writing the series in 2007 drawing from own experiences and her father’s incarceration as well. “I knew that I wanted to tell the story. Somebody said to me early on: write what only you can write.” Despite its solemn premise, however, McMillan used humor as an outlet of expression. “Humor doesn’t change what happened, but it changes how I carry what happened. And that’s what it’s about,” she says.

UnPrisoned is about Edwin’s life outside the jail after a long time and his coming back into Paige’s world. They have captured the complexities and humor of their relationship. The show has such an unusual perspective that it can be both touching and funny.

Looking ahead

The second season of UnPrisoned will air on July 17th. It also examines the facets of family, and forgiveness as well as the effects of incarceration. McMillan tells her personal story through humor and warmth, offering a fresh view on a topic that is often not spoken about.

UnPrisoned is a demonstration of how storytelling can be powerful even in the face of adversity. The series, which is quite relatable, can be watched with pleasure thanks to McMillan’s ability to find humor in her own sufferings. We anticipate more from these characters’ lives in this new season that continues with laughter and love on its journey.