Browsing Tag: Karen Gist

Newcomer Alana Bright is set as a lead opposite Yaya DaCosta and Morris Chestnut in Fox drama series Our Kind of People. This role marks as Bright's professional acting debut. The project comes from Lee Daniels and Karen Gist with Tasha Smith attached to direct two episodes of the series. Our Kind of People is a drama inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham’ non-fiction book Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class. It takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. It is a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful black elite have come to play for more than 50 years. READ: Morris Chestnut Cast as Lead in Fox Drama Our Kind of People Opposite Yaya Dacosta Gist took over writing the project from Wendy Calhoun. The series will follow single mom Angela Vaughn (Dacosta), who risks it all and moves her family to Martha’s Vineyard with hopes of taking her natural hair care line to the next level by infiltrating the African American elite in Oak Bluffs. But she soon discovers a secret about her past that just might change her position and shake up her life and this influential community forever. Bright will play Nikki Vaughn, the 17-year-old daughter and only child of Angela Vaughn. A passionate artist with a gift for spoken-word poetry, Nikki is bold and fearless. She stands up for what she believes and has a strong sense of security in who she is. The recent death of her grandmother has sent her spiraling, but as she starts to form new friendships in Oak Bluffs, she starts to gain her footing again. READ: Billy Porter, EJ Johnson, Zachary Quinto Join Cast of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder It was previously announced that Chestnut will play Raymond Dupont. He is the husband of Angela’s chief nemesis Leah Franklin Dupont, who has yet to be cast. Raymond is described as a powerful man, raised in wealth, who has “Obama swag and presence.” He is a top executive at a food conglomerate, but he has been struggling to revive the company after his white business partner Jack almost tanked the firm through mismanagement. A conscientious father, he is the soft place to land for his daughter. But ignores his son Quincy’s ambitions to become a professional basketball player, something that puts him at sad odds with his son. Smith will direct the pilot and second episode of the drama which received a straight-to-series order for the 3021-22 season. This project has been in development since 2017 with Gist and Daniels coming on board in 2019. Gist is also the executive producer via TheGistofIt Produtions alongside Daniels who is executive producing under his Lee Daniels Entertainment banner. READ: Nicole Ari Parker, Brad James, and More Join NBC Pilot At That Age Ben Silverman and Montrel McKay are still attached to executive produce. Along with Silverman, fellow Propagate executives Jay Weisleder, Howard T. Owens, and Rodney Ferrell will also executive produce. Pam Williams and Marc Velez of Lee Daniels Entertainment will executive produce as well. 20th Century Fox Television will produce along with Fox Entertainment. Bright was one of the featured performers in the HBO Max documentary Homeschool Musical. Bright is repped by Paradigm.

Browsing Tag: Karen Gist

Newcomer Alana Bright Joins Yaya DaCosta and Morris Chestnut in Our Kind of People

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