Diving into the mind of creator, writer, and executive producer Lena Waithe along with Hillman Grad Productions, comes the funny, inspirational and introspective GLAAD Media Award-nominated series, Twenties. The series follows ‘Hattie,’ a masculine-presenting queer Black woman in her twenties, played by Jonica (Jojo) T.Gibbs and her two straight best friends, ‘Marie’ played by Christina Elmore and ‘Nia’ played by Gabrielle Graham, as they try to find their footing in life, love, and the professional world in Los Angeles. The second season will premiere on BET touching on situations that persons face in their “Twenties”. Along with the half-hour series, there is an after-show hosted by B. Scott which gives commentary and insights into some of the characters’ mishaps and successes. This aims to give voices from the Black LGBTQ+ community a platform to share their personal experiences. We got a chance to sit with the leads of Jonica (Jojo) T.Gibbs, Christina Elmore, and Gabrielle Graham for an interview to have a chat about the theme of the upcoming season.
How do you feel about the upcoming Season 2 of Twenties?
Jonica (Jojo) T. Gibbs: Yeah I am very excited, I think we are all very excited. Because you know Covid, the whole world went through this that none of us anticipated and now it’s like thank God we are back. Thank God we are able to do a second season and as a personal fan of the show, I already know what happens but I’m excited to see how they put it together.
Season 2 deals with the struggles of love, life, and career. This is relatable to a lot of young persons who feel strongly about what they want to do with their passions but may have to learn some lessons along that way. Can you talk about that and what advice will you give to young people in that situation?
Jonica (Jojo) T. Gibbs: I think the best thing is to remain tenacious, you stay focused. Everybody’s personal situation is not the same but I think the twenties are probably going to be the most selfish period of your time, the one that you can say I am really focussing on me and not other things. So it’s a time to really put your head down and go for what it is you want, and I’ll say tenacity is the biggest thing in your twenties and not taking things personally. For me, I never felt more than in my twenties but it also taught me how to take a hit on the chin and keep on pushing.
Christina Elmore: I think similarly that it is the time to fail then time to try. I mean truly it’s the time you are setting yourself up for the rest of your life and one day you are going to look up and you’re going to be in your thirties, forties, fifties, sixties. And I’m not saying once you make a choice in your twenties it’s done but I think that what a great opportunity to be trying new things, to taking risks and seeing where you land, and becoming more comfortable with who you are as a person rather than trying to fit into some box, you think has been prescribed for you.
Gabrielle Graham: And Yeah I thought what Christina was saying was that time goes by so quickly You’ll wake up and you’ll be thirty, like me. Just like Be patient and continue to work hard, but be patient and trust that as long as you’re working hard it will come. We don’t know when but as long as you put the work in things will happen for you.
The show is very wholesome when it comes to the support these young black women have for each other. How Important is it to have that support today?
Jonica (Jojo) T Gibbs: I think it’s everything. I think that your support and your foundation, and your support system for me (are everything). I know for a fact that I would not have pursued acting if it wasn’t for the significant people in my life, my best friend, my cousins, who said to me you’re funny you should do this, you should try that, or you will be great at that. Who spoke life into my career before I even (thought of it). I always wanted to do it but I was so afraid of not knowing how to do it. And I think that you see that with Hattie, Marie, and Nia, they speak life into each other so much. Especially like Marie and Nia, speaking life into Hattie challenging her and you vice versa, and so it’s very important.
Christina Elmore: I think that what I love most about the show is the friendships that we see between the three leads. And that we get to see how they truly, truly support each other while also being very real and honest. And that honesty is such a huge part of their support for each other. And that they are in different careers at different stages of their lives, all in a similar industry and there is no competition, they are not trying to get something from each other and there’s no manipulation. But there is also so much honesty that there’s sometimes time to take a break and pause. But it just feels so true to the kinds of relationships I have in my life, and the kinds I want, kinds that I want to nurture. And I just think that some of the most important relationships are the ones you nurture with your friends.
Gabrielle Graham: I think it’s beautiful to have friendships that there is an understanding of what you are going through. There’s a comfortability in being able to confide in your friends and be able to receive the truth without taking offense to it. That was just something that consistently happens throughout the show. Nia, Hattie, or Marie be able to take it and move forward with it and be able to use it to their advantage, instead of hearing it as hate.
Being decisive and knowing what decision to make is something that will be faced in life. Having to make hard decisions is what the character Marie has to experience. Especially when we feel like we have to make decisions based on them. Can you talk more about that?
Jonica (JoJo) T. Gibbs: That’s a special thing for me because I was raised part of my life by my great grandparents and I watched situations where my mother made decisions based on their opinions for what they saw for her life. And at a very young age, I just realized that you have to make decisions for yourself because maybe one day these people won’t be here anymore. You know my great parents, I love them to death, I wish they were still here but they have gone on they have passed on, and so now you’re still living life but now for yourself. I think people have to decide to do that even while their loved ones are here. A lot of times parents can have children and try to live their lives vicariously through their kids. You have to be leery of that. Parents trying to lead you based on their own insecurities or feelings, doubt, you know things of that nature but it does not come from a negative place, I just think you need to recognize you have to lead with your own personal intuition and not let the influence of anyone else regardless of how much you love them. Because at the end of the day we are only guaranteed to be with ourselves.
Christina Elmore: I think that truly the source of all decision making should be in God, pray on it, let him speak to you, let him use you. Sometimes He speaks to you through a trusted friend or family member and sometimes they are wrong and sometimes you have a knowing and you know what you are supposed to do and you got to do that. But also I think that we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to think that every little decision we make now is somehow going to be the end all be all so it’s also okay that you make one and you make it wrong and it didn’t work out and that’s fine.
Gabrielle Graham: I think they said it beautifully, just trust your instinct, just your gut that’s your compass.
Season 2 of ‘Twenties’ is a must watch with a wholesome feel to it. It offers so much to the black and LBGTQ community as a place where you can feel free to be confident about the path you choose to take.
“TWENTIES” SEASON TWO PREMIERED WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13“
You can catch the show AT 10 PM ET/PT ON BET AND BET HER with the after-show hosted by B. Scott following right after.
