American actress and comedian
Jonica T. Gibbs |
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![]() Gibbs in 2018 |
Born | Gaffney, South Carolina, U.S. |
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Nationality | American |
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Other names | Jojo T. Gibbs |
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Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian |
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Years active | 2015–present |
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Known for | Twenties |
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Notable work | Fresh |
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Jonica "Jojo" T. Gibbs is an American actress and comedian. She plays the lead role of Hattie on the BET series Twenties.[1]
Early life and education
Gibbs was born in 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] Negative experiences with faculty members in the department discouraged her from pursuing journalism.[4] After graduation, she worked several jobs, including as a substitute teacher, 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] Gibbs starred in the 2022 thriller Fresh.[11]
Personal life
Gibbs is openly gay.[4][12] She came out to her mother at 19 after watching True Life: I'm Coming Out.[6]
Filmography
Television
Film
References
External links