Words by Shurida Lundi
One of the top scammers in the world is Doris Payne, an 87-year-old jewel thief who has been doing this scamming thing long before it was a trend. Her story is coming to big screen and Tessa Thompson will be playing Payne.
Thompson, best known for her roles in Creed and Westworld, is very excited to play Doris and took to Twitter to express it.
After chasing Doris and her story for years— and then keeping this secret for awhile— I’m screaming that this dream is coming true. She is a deeply fascinating woman. So pleased to bring this story to the screen with CodeBlack & Lionsgate. Beyond grateful. https://t.co/GMfigAdwy4
— Tessa Thompson (@TessaThompson_x) February 13, 2018
Doris Payne has continued her life of stealing and she was arrested last March for stealing a $2,000 necklace in a mall from Georgia and then arrested in July for shoplifting in Walmart.
The convicted thief has a criminal record that dates back to the 1950s and she has admitted to having over 20 aliases, nine dates of births, and 10 social security numbers. “Granny Gem Thief” described many of her crimes in the 2013 documentary “The Life and Times of Doris Payne”. Payne stated in the documentary,” I don’t have any regrets about stealing jewelry. I regret getting caught.”