Jonica “Jojo” T. Gibbs is an American actress and comedian, who is best known for her inspiring performance as Hattie in the hit comedy BET television series Twenties.

JONICA GIBBS BIOGRAPHY: AGE, EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

Jonica Gibbs was born in Jackson, Aiken County, South Carolina, and was raised by her great-grandparents in Hampstead, North Carolina. For college, Gibbs attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. However, poor experiences with faculty members in the department wound up discouraging Gibbs from pursuing journalism as a profession. After graduating, Gibbs found employment working a handful of jobs, including as a substitute teacher, all while acting in several student films at Savannah College of Art and Design. 

JONICA GIBBS BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

In 2015, Gibbs relocated to Los Angeles, in order to pursue acting full-time, just one year after she started with stand-up comedy. She, along with close friend Rashonda Joplin, began a production company and crafted the web series No More Comics in L.A. They filmed and financed two episodes while establishing a crowdfunding initiative in order to gather money for the remaining episodes. In order to promote their campaign, they reached out to numerous black television talents, including Lena Waithe, who wound up inviting Gibbs to audition for her starring role in the popular comedy series Twenties.

In an exclusive interview with uInterview, Gibbs and her fellow co-star Gabrielle Graham discussed their first experiences acting that made them realize they wanted to pursue it as a career.

“I’d say it was in high school,” Graham recalled. “I mean, I feel like I’ve always wanted to be a performer. When I was younger, me and my friends, we were going to be in a band, a rock band, and live in this mansion,” Graham laughed. “So, I’ve always liked attention, and it’s so weird because I’m such an introvert, but when I got on stage, I felt like I could be more of myself and I felt like I really discovered that when I was in high school. My role was like Officer Crabby Gabi or something and she was angry and loud and just very much the opposite of me. And once I was on stage and I felt everyone’s reaction and how much I made them laugh, I was like, yeah, this is what I want to do.”

“Yeah, I think something similar. I was a Disney kid, so I always wanted to act,” Gibbs reflected. “Like we had cable. We had a TV in every room in the house and cable on every single TV, so I was addicted to television. But the first time I felt what you’re describing, Gabi, was the first time I did stand-up comedy. Feeling the reaction from the crowd, it felt very like tennis I think, like volleying back and forth, you know? And for the first time, I felt like I was in control, and it also made me think to myself, maybe I should have tried single sports as a kid instead of team sports. Like maybe I should have done golf or tennis instead of basketball,” Gibbs chuckled. “But yeah, that was the first time that I was like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to do this acting thing because, yeah, performing in front of people is rewarding.”

Moving on to the comedy television series Twenties, Gibbs was asked about how she sees the show in regards to the way it addresses the issue of queerness in the black community and in Hollywood.

“Yeah, as someone who can recollect on their adolescence and even adulthood of being uncertain and unsure of themselves, and in terms of my sexuality, my place in this world, you know, I look at a character like Hattie and I see someone that’s confidently themselves,” Gibbs stated. “And we don’t know the backstory of her. Maybe it took her a while to get there. Maybe she’s just always been this way, but I think it’s a revolutionary thing and a breath of fresh air to see a character that is unapologetically themselves and doesn’t highlight their differences. They’re like, I’m just going to operate in my space how I want to and y’all can get with it or get lost. And, as you can see, I think her friends Marie and Nia, they accept her for who she is, as do- even in the workspace – like Jojo. I would have never been confident enough to walk into a business environment dressed as a masculine presenter. You know what I’m saying? Like I would think that there would need to be certain limitations on it. So, you know, watching Hattie do it in such a fluid way is inspiring to me.”

When asked if there was a specific moment or scene that surprised her in the show, here is what Gibbs had to say:

“Yeah, a few things surprised me because honestly, I’m a fan of the show. So, a lot of times, I feel like I’m looking at it from the perspective of just a fan,” Gibbs admitted. “And I get frustrated with Hattie quite often. Like literally, we’ll be about to do a scene and I’ll be like, ‘Why? Why is she doing this?’ You know, just simple things, like, I don’t know, you’re homeless, you ain’t got a place to stay, but you catch an attitude with the one person that’s giving you somewhere to sleep. That doesn’t make too much sense to me,” Gibbs laughed. “But just go with it because everybody’s different, you know? So, I think it’s great to show perspectives of people that live literally through their own lens. Like, she’s like, I’m going to make decisions for me.”

JONICA GIBBS BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

Gibbs is openly gay. She came out to her mother at the age of 19, after having watched True Life: I’m Coming Out. She is currently in a relationship with fellow American comedian Sydnee Washington.

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