Here's The Real-Life Story Behind Netflix's 'From Scratch'
If you’ve recently heard the loud sobbing of women across social media, you can thank Netflix’s new romantic drama From Scratch for that. The series, based loosely on the memoir of the same name, which was written by Tembi Locke, centers on the story of a Black woman named Amy (Zoe Saldaña) who leaves behind her life and budding law career to move to Italy to study art. While there, she meets a local professional chef named Lino, and the two begin a romance that brings together two different cultures.
xoNecole has compiled a few key details about the real-life woman behind this beautiful story and how both the book and series came to fruition.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
What motivated Tembi Locke to write the book that turned into a Netflix series?
In an interview on the Tamron Hall Show, Tembi speaks about her decision to turn her love story with her late husband Saro into a book. “I get to see his face again. I get to share him and relive the most beautiful moments of our lives together," she said. The New York Times best-selling author described the series as "the promise that love never dies" and she also revealed that they filmed a lot of those scenes in the exact places she shared in real life with her now-deceased former husband.
How did Tembi Locke's 'From Scratch' memoir become a series?
Tembi’s sister Attica Locke produced the series with the help of Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine after pitching the show to them without her sister's knowledge. “For a second [Hello Sunshine] were like — ‘your sister? I don’t know about all this’ — but they said yes. They were curious — Reese read it, everyone in the office read it and in like a week we were sitting there figuring out how we can make this into a show,” Attica tells CBS This Morning’s Gayle King.
How was Zoe Saldaña cast in 'From Scratch'?
Once the decision to turn the book into a miniseries got underway, all there was to do was cast the leading lady. It was at the suggestion of Attica that Reese approached Avatar actress Zoe Saldaña. The actress opened up about her decision to star in the series in an interview with Variety. “After Reese spoke with me about the book, I, obviously, was very curious and having experienced grief and loss, but from a child’s perspective — I was 9 when I lost a parent and that was very difficult,” Saldaña says.
“I can revisit those sensations from my child mind’s eye, but I never knew what it must have been like for my mother, losing a partner, losing her ride or die, and losing the love of her life — her lover, her best friend, her everything and then having to not just cater to her loss and her pain, but also then have to be this grown-up that had to still be joyful and be happy and be re-purposeful for the sake of these three little souls that were just looking at her like, ‘What now? What do we do?’ That was quite painful to revisit.”
What does Tembi Locke's life look like now?
For fans of both the series and book, they know that Tembi’s husband Saro Gullo died from his cancer in 2012. It would be a few years later in 2016 that she would meet and fall in love with her current husband, Robert. The couple married in 2020. The mother of one shared the news about their nuptials in a blog post on her website. “Amid a global pandemic and civil unrest, beautiful milestones can still be honored. Whether it is the love experienced with a new partner; the joy of a child maturing before your eyes; a friend who sends you spices in the mail; or merely the deepening understanding that your life is precious and a gift, we have much for which we can be grateful,” she wrote.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/ Getty Images for Netflix
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage