Renée Elise Goldsberry is best known to the public as Angelica Schuyler from the hit musical *Hamilton*, but her career began long before that iconic role.
**“Satisfied,”** a new documentary from Melissa Haizlip and Chris Bolan, not only explores Goldsberry’s celebrated run on *Hamilton* but, more importantly, delves into the sacrifices she made to dedicate herself to that award-winning performance. The film offers an honest look at how a performer at the peak of her career balances being a wife and mother while navigating a career-changing moment that many dream of.
Haizlip and Bolan recently sat down with *The Philadelphia Tribune* to discuss their film and the evolving role of documentarians during challenging times. The filmmakers shared what inspired them to create *Satisfied*, with Bolan highlighting the canceled theatrical release of *Hamilton* as the catalyst.
“Renée moved away from the city and became close friends with a dear friend of mine, Kelli O’Hara—who is also a wonderful Broadway performer, Tony Award-winning actress, and executive producer on our film,” Bolan explained. “Renée told Kelli that she had a lot of behind-the-scenes footage from *Hamilton* and wished she had done something with it instead of just posting it all on Instagram. She wished she had made a documentary or met someone who knew how to create one.”
He continued, “And Kelli replied, ‘Well, it just so happens that I have a good friend who lives right over here who is a documentary filmmaker. Do you want to meet him?’ And [Renée] said, ‘Sure!’”
As a theater fan herself, Haizlip was excited to join the team for the Renée Goldsberry documentary. “I’m a huge musical theater fan; I’m a musical theater kid,” she shared. “I also grew up doing plays and musicals and then had a really long career on Broadway, performing in many shows. Now, I produce shows on Broadway, and I love making documentaries as well. So the idea of bringing all these things together as a Black woman in theater—I was so excited to see her story told this way.”
One of the major themes explored in *Satisfied* is how Goldsberry balances her demanding career with family life, a challenge that resonates with many women across America. As Goldsberry states in the film, “I’m the only cast member that’s also a mom.”
Haizlip emphasized, “The themes of our film—motherhood, balancing career and family—are so universal, but the specificity of Renée’s experience and seeing the story through her eyes really made a big difference for me.”
Both filmmakers boast impressive résumés and were asked about the role of documentarians in today’s historical moment. In many ways, they see themselves as important truth-tellers.
“I try to use filmmaking to amplify underrepresented stories, particularly those focusing on Black culture and history,” Haizlip said. “I intentionally approach filmmaking to show the full breadth of Black expression and humanity. Especially with this project, we wanted to tell a more intimate story about Renée’s journey with motherhood and infertility.”
Bolan reflected on his previous film, *A Secret Love*, to demonstrate why documentarians hold such significance. “Creating a documentary requires dedication and teaches us the importance of perseverance. I try to build trust with my subjects by ensuring they are co-creators in the storytelling process,” he shared. “I work with them to ensure their story is told authentically and compellingly, and that’s exactly what Melissa and I did with *Satisfied*.”
It’s this attention to detail and care that makes *Satisfied* a compelling film. It not only highlights Goldsberry’s immense talents but also the sacrifices an artist of her caliber makes to create a lifetime of memories for audiences.
*“Satisfied”* hits U.S. theaters for a special three-day event via Fathom Events through October 2.
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https://www.phillytrib.com/entertainment/movies/ren-e-elise-goldsberry-is-satisfied/article_37a840e2-7fdc-423b-848d-20ae9fdd8e38.html