Lena Waithe TBS Comedy Pilot ‘Twenties’ Casts Its Leads
TBS has locked in the main cast of Twenties, its single-camera comedy from The Chi creator and Master of None Emmy winner Lena Waithe. Jonica T. Gibbs has landed the lead, with Christina Elmore, Gabrielle Graham and Sophina Brown as co-leads in the project, created and written by Waithe nine years ago, when she was in her early 20s.
Twenties follows the adventures of a queer black girl, Hattie (Gibbs), and her two straight best friends, Marie (Elmore) and Nia (Graham), who spend most of their days talking shit and chasing their dreams. It’s a show about friendship, finding love, and messing everything up along the way.
“Queer black characters have been the sidekick for long enough; it’s time for us to finally take the lead,” Waithe said at the time of the pilot pickup. [x]
Tag: lena waithe
Janelle Monáe and the Church of Dirty Computers
I have more access, and I can move through life a little more easily. I still have been in a position to work and to have money and to have my own apartment and to move out of my house if my parents didn’t accept me, but there are so many people around the world that don’t. They’re pushed out of their homes. People are committing suicide. Kids in high school and middle school are committing suicide because they don’t feel like they would be accepted if they were walking in their truth. And, what I wanted to do with Dirty Computer is to create a community. Create a community where you can go to a concert and connect to people that are like us and all the dirty computers around the world.
…
Angry. I was very upset writing “Django Jane.” How could you not be? As an African-American woman in society — just speaking from that lens. When you think about who’s in the position of power right now. When you think about the level of disrespect that woman have been given — especially woman of color, especially black women.
I can’t possibly quote all the quotable parts of the interview. It is stellar. It is life affirming. I love these women and these two women in particular having a conversation is just magical and it’s like all of my thoughts about Janelle from Lena’s perspective and all my feelings and thoughts as a queer woman and then specifically as a queer black woman expressed in them both. I’m so happy they have a platform for their voices to be heard. READ THIS INTERVIEW
Kid Fury to Develop HBO Comedy Series With Lena Waithe Producing (EXCLUSIVE)
BLACK WOMEN DOING THE MOST FOR LGBT+
My brand is good storytelling. I really want [my company] Hillman Grad
Productions to be associated with great stories, interesting characters;
things that are three-dimensional and feel honest.
Lena Waithe attends the 2018 MTV Movie And TV Awards at Barker Hangar on June 16, 2018 in Santa Monica, California.
Just Sha 