Will Smith to produce film about Rags-To-Riches Chef

Jeff Henderson, the one-time convicted felon who is now the executive chef at the Café Bellagio in Las Vegas, will have his story turned into a feature film by Will Smith, it was announced Wednesday.


The actor will produce a movie based on Henderson’s memoir "Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, From Cocaine to Foie Gras," which was optioned by Columbia Pictures. It is unclear if Smith will also star in the picture.


Henderson, who recently told his story on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” learned his way around the kitchen while in prison for dealing crack cocaine. The film “Cooked,” will chronicle “Chef Jeff’s” life transformation.


Smith will produce with James Lassiter, his production partner in Overbrook Entertainment, and with Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal of production company Escape Artists. The foursome also produced "The Pursuit of Happyness," another rags-to-riches story which earned Smith a best actor Oscar nomination and has grossed nearly $288 million worldwide.


Lassiter praised Henderson as "truly inspiring." He added, "After meeting him, I knew we had to turn his story into a movie."