Jonica T. Gibbs, Christina Elmore, and Gabrielle Graham are the three actresses holding it down in “TWENTIES” which is now entering its second season.
The show follows ‘Hattie,’(Jonica T. Gibbs) a masculine-presenting queer African-American woman in her twenties, and her two straight best friends, ‘Marie’ (Christina Elmore) and ‘Nia’ (Gabrielle Graham), as they try to find their footing in life, love, and the professional world in Los Angeles.
Because the show is so popular, BET will premiere a new half-hour series touching on key themes explored in “Twenties” titled “Twenties After-Show With B. Scott” which will showcase the media personality as the first out, trans non-binary host and executive producer in the network’s history. Following each episode of the second season of “Twenties,” B. Scott will sit with cast and creatives to unpack the narrative, steeped in the queer Black experience.
The after-show premiered on Wednesday, October 13, at 10:30 p.m., following the scripted series airing at 10 p.m. It is executive produced by Waithe and Rishi Rajani with Rocio Melara overseeing for their Hillman Grad Productions banner; alongside B. Scott under their Ahoskie Productions banner; and Sergio Alfaro, Michael Weinberg, Fernita Wynn, and Ray Giuliani for Invent TV with Alberlynne “Abby” Woods serving as a producer. In 2012, B. Scott became the first trans-non-binary person to appear on BET’s “106 and Park” and judge the “Rip the Runway” competition. They’ve also hosted the “Style Stage Red Carpet” at the annual BET Awards.
Here is what Jonica T. Gibbs, Christina Elmore, and Gabrielle Graham and to share about season two of “TWENTIES.”
LOS ANGELES SENTINEL: How have your characters grown from season one?
JONICA T. GIBBS (Hattie): My character has grown a little bit. She has a lot more people guiding her and she has more accountability, and she has a little bit more focus and drive.
LAS: Yes, I agree but she’s still messy and that’s why I love her so. And you, Christina.
CHRISTINA ELMORE (Marie): Well for Marie, I think, she’s waiting to see how she’s going to change.
LAS: How so?
CM: Well, her life circumstances have changed, and now we have to see if she’s going to evolve with them. The question is, will she make some new choices.
LAS: That’s so true and what she’s going to have to deal with, well, a lot of women will understand and relate to. Exciting turn for the character.
LAS: Ladies, why do you think your show was so well received in the first season. Like, what’s the secret sauce? Don’t be modest.
JG: Well since you said that, it’s definitely me.
LAS: Yes Ms. Gibbs, don’t be modest. You bring the messy fire.
CM: I didn’t want to say that, but I think that Jo-Jo [Ms. Gibbs] is being modest. I think that Hatties’ definitely the North Star of the show. It’s groundbreaking to see a masculine-presenting Queer, Black woman, as a lead of a show.
LAS: True talk.
CM: But it’s more than that. Because what has made it so relatable is that she [Hattie] feels like all of us. We all know a Hattie.
LAS: We do.
CM: We know someone that has that confidence of a lifestyle even though she doesn’t have the accomplishments, and JoJo’s made Hattie so funny, and so relatable, so authentically truthful, that I honestly think that is the secret sauce.
“TWENTIES” is executive produced by Lena Waithe, Susan Fales-Hill, who serves as showrunner, Rishi Rajani, and Andrew Coles.
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