Jonica T. Gibbs

Jonica "Jojo" T. Gibbs is an American actress and comedian. She plays the lead role of Hattie in the BET series Twenties.[1]

Jonica T. Gibbs
Gibbs in March 2020
Born
Jackson, South Carolina
NationalityAmerican
Other namesJojo T. Gibbs
OccupationActress, comedian
Years active2015-present
Known forTwenties

Early life and education

Gibbs was born in Jackson, South Carolina[2] and raised by her great-grandparents in Hampstead, North Carolina.[3] She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[3] Gibbs felt discouraged from pursuing journalism after negative experiences with faculty members in the department.[4] After graduation she moved around and worked several jobs, including substitute teaching, and acted in student films at SCAD.[2]

Career

Gibbs moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to pursue acting professionally,[3] a year after she began stand-up comedy.[2][3] She and her close friend Rashonda Joplin started a production company and developed the web series No More Comics in L.A.[5] They shot and financed two episodes and created a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the remaining eight episodes.[3][6] They reached out to a number of Black television creatives to market the campaign, including Lena Waithe.[7]

Waithe invited Gibbs to audition for Twenties, which was her first audition.[2][3] Gibbs was cast in the lead role as Hattie, a broke, queer, aspiring TV writer loosely based on Waithe's experiences.[4][5] Gibbs has spoken about the significance of playing one of few masculine-of-center lesbians in American media.[3][8]

Gibbs has a recurring role in Good Trouble and the scripted podcast The Left Right Game.[9][10]

Personal life

Gibbs is openly gay.[4][11] She came out to her mother at 19 after watching True Life: I'm Coming Out.[6]

References
  1. "Spotlight: Jojo T. Gibbs on lesbian-themed comedy series 'Twenties'". Metro Weekly. 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  2. Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (19 March 2020). "How Jonica T. Gibbs Brought Her Soft Butch Swagger to "Twenties"". LOGO News. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  3. "Jonica T. Gibbs on Playing Lena Waithe (Sort of) in "Twenties"". W Magazine | Women's Fashion & Celebrity News. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  4. "Twenties's Jonica 'Jojo' Gibbs on Black Queer Visibility in Hollywood". www.advocate.com. 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  5. "Jonica "Jojo" T. Gibbs —the glue in BET's new comedy "Twenties" — a star is born". Los Angeles Sentinel. 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  6. "Why Actress JoJo Gibbs Came Out Twice to Her Mom". Inside Edition. 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  7. Lecaro, Lina (2020-06-11). "Pride Q&A: Twenties Star Jonica T. Gibbs on Representing LGBTQ & Black Lives on TV". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  8. "Lena Waithe, Jonica Gibbs Explore How Lesbian Representation in TV Creates a "Space of Understanding"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  9. Ramos, Dino-Ray (2019-08-01). "Lena Waithe's 'Twenties' Adds Rapper Big Sean, Rounds Out Cast For New BET Comedy". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  10. Wiseman, Andreas (2019-12-16). "Tessa Thompson To Star In & Produce QCode Sci-Fi-Thriller Podcast 'The Left Right Game'". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  11. "Jonica T. Gibbs Is Reliving Lena Waithe's "Twenties"". Interview Magazine. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
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