Lena Waithe’s new TBS series, ‘Twenties,’ selects cast

Sep 28, 2018

Lena Waithe thegrio.com — Lena Waithe attends the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Grants Banquet at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 9, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Emmy winner Lena Waithe’s TBS pilot Twenties, a comedy about a queer Black girl named Hattie who aspires to be a famous television writer, living out her life with her two straight best friends has cast Jonica T. Gibbs as the lead character, according to Deadline.

Twenties, written and produced by Waithe who also created Showtime’s The Chi and starred in and wrote for Netflix’s Master of None, is about friendship, finding love and making mistakes along the way. In addition to Gibbs, Christina Elmore and Gabrielle Graham have been cast as Marie and Nia, and Sophina Brown was chosen to play Ida B, a television producer/writer who gives Hattie her big break..

Waithe said she created the characters nine years ago out of a desire to see queer characters take a lead role in a television show, instead of being relegated to a supporting role.

“I wrote Twenties back in 2009. I always wanted to tell a story where a queer Black woman was the protaganist, and I’m so grateful to TBS for giving me a platform to tell this story,” Waithe said in February at the time TBS picked up the pilot, according to Deadline. “Queer black characters have been the sidekick for long enough; it’s time for us to finally take the lead.”

There are a few similarities between Hattie’s character and Waithe. Deadline said Hattie is “a naturally beautiful, funny, charming young woman” who also is “an aspiring television writer who dreams of glory” noting that this is where the similarities end. Hattie has issues with keeping a regular job and always seems to fall for straight women, which creates trouble in her life that her besties help her work out, the way besties do.

In addition to Twenties and the other shows on Waithe’s plate, she and Halle Berry have signed on to executive produce BET’s Boomerang sequel series. Waithe has also acquired the TV and film rights to Kiley Reid’s debut novel, Such a Fun Age, which will be published next fall.

Must see TV.