‘Grand Crew’ cast opens up about relating to their characters, dating stories and more

The new NBC sitcom follows a Black group of friends who lean on each other through the highs and lows of life over wine

Just seven episodes in, Grand Crew has proved to be one of the most exciting new comedies of the year. TheGrio sat down with some of the cast who broke down how they relate to their characters in their own personal lives.

Grand Crew, currently on NBC, is about a group of friends living in LA who meet at a wine bar to break down the highs and lows of their lives together. With an entirely Black leading cast, the show has certainly been a refreshing addition to television’s sitcom lineup.

TheGrio got a chance to chat with some of the cast, including Echo Kellum, Nicole Byer, Justin Cunningham and more all about their own personal lives, and how (and if) they connect to the roles they play on the series.

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(L-R) Carl Tart, Nicole Byer, Grasie Mercedes, Bresha Webb, Justin Cunningham, Aaron Jennings and Echo Kellum attend NBC’s new comedy series “Grand Crew” premiere event at Alta Adams on December 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Comedian and actress Byer, who plays Nicky in the series, explained to us, “I relate hard to Nicky doing self-care. I love doing things just for me…sometimes I’ll just go on a drive and be in my thoughts and that feels good.” She added, “Also, just being like independent, fiercely independent, I identify with that, but also having friends to lean on, you know?”

Kellum revealed, “Oh I relate to Noah in multiple ways, like, I love romance. I like to say I’m a hopeful romantic. I’m definitely a relationship type of person. ” He even said that the entire cast of Grand Crew has built a strong bond, adding, “That’s our real life…we all do meet up every week and go to a wine bar and unpack life, love and work and stuff like that.”

Of course, with a show about young friends navigating through life, the characters experience many highs and lows, especially when it comes to dating. When speaking to his own personal life, Grand Crew star Cunningham shared, “I am in the process now of dating myself.” He added, “I am taking the time to learn about me…I’m taking the time now to prepare and better myself and be a more righteous man for somebody else. If that person comes along, great. But right now I’m focused on that.”

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Justin Cunningham attends NBC’s new comedy series “Grand Crew” premiere event at Alta Adams on December 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Grasie Mercedes certainly relates to this aspect of life as well. The actress, who is recently single, opened up about modern dating, including dating apps. “They aren’t for me,” she shared. “If I think about my past relationships, I so often dated guys that I wasn’t attracted to at first but something about them made me attracted to them. You can’t get that on an app!”

Grand Crew airs Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

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