Urban Myths: Madonna & Basquait. Image shows from L to R: Drunk (David Bamber), Jean-Michel Basquiat (Calvin Demba), Madonna (Sophie Kennedy Clark), Homeless Man (Paul Kaye). Copyright: Wildcard Films

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
2019
Channel
Sky Arts
Episodes
1
Stars
Sophie Kennedy Clark, Calvin Demba, David Bamber, Paul Kaye, Mollie Lambert, Chase Brown, Joe Hill, Simon Harris and Sarah Solemani
Writer
Sarah Solemani
Directors
Adam Wimpenny and Sarah Solemani
Producers
Adam Morane-Griffiths, Joe Hill, Sarah Solemani, Morwenna Gordon and Alexander Kenanov
Company

Before she was famous, Madonna had a short but passionate and influential relationship with Jean-Michel Basquiat, a pioneer and darling of the 1980s New York art scene. Basquiat was riding high while Madonna was a coat check girl, but she already had the self-belief to know she had something special.

This myth takes place across one night on the New York subway, just before she infamously door-stepped music producer Seymour Stein at his hospital bedside where he signed her on the spot. This is a poignant moment, before Basquiat's untimely death and just before Madonna broke through to "take over the motherfucking world".

Additional details

Part of

Urban Myths

Production
Studio
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Wednesday 15th May 2019 at 9pm on Sky Arts
Episode length
30 minutes
Most recent repeats
  • Tuesday 28th March 2023 at 1:30am on Sky Arts
  • Wednesday 31st August 2022 at 12:20am on Sky Arts
  • Thursday 24th March 2022 at 3:30am on Sky Arts

Share this page