Kenya Barris

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Kenya Barris
File:Kenya Barris, the Series Creator and Executive Producer of "Blackish.", May 2016.jpg
Barris in 2016
Born (1973-08-09) August 9, 1973 (age 50)
Inglewood, California, U.S.
Other names Kenya 'Yee' Barris
Alma mater Clark Atlanta University
Occupation
  • Film and television writer
  • producer
  • director
  • actor
Years active 1997–present
Spouse(s) Rainbow Edwards Barris (m. 1999)
Children 6

Kenya Barris (born August 9, 1973) is an American film and television writer, producer, director, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the ABC sitcom black-ish (2014–2022).

Early life

Barris was born in Inglewood, California, the second of five children. He was named after Kenya due to his father visiting the country.[1] Barris' parents divorced when he was five years old.[2] He is an alumnus of Clark Atlanta University.[3][4]

Career

Barris has created numerous television shows, including the critically acclaimed Black-ish. The award-winning series also has two spin-offs, Grown-ish and Mixed-ish,[5] and a third potential spin-off Old-ish.[6] He was a writer for The Game, Girlfriends, and Soul Food.[5][4][7] Barris co-created and produced America's Next Top Model with Tyra Banks.[8] He penned the film Girls Trip. He co-produced the 2019 film Little[9] and co-wrote the screenplay for the 2019 theatrical release Shaft.

In 2020, Barris made his acting debut in #BlackAF, a series he developed for Netflix, co-starring Rashida Jones and Iman Benson.[10][11][12] In October 2020, Barris announced that he will write, produce and direct a biopic on comedian Richard Pryor for MGM.[13] His Khalabo Ink Society company is currently eyeing a deal with ViacomCBS.[14] In August 2022 it was announced that Barris would write and direct a modern remake of The Wizard of Oz.[15]

Barris has been working on a possible TV series Brown-ish with Eva Longoria.[10]

Personal life

Barris married anesthesiologist Dr. Rania "Rainbow" Edwards Barris in 1999. They have six children.[16] He filed for divorce from her in 2022—having filed for divorce twice before and then withdrawn those filings.[17][18][19][20]

Filmography

Films

Title Year Credited as Studio Notes
Writer Director Producer Other
Barbershop: The Next Cut 2016 Yes No Yes No Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Bros. Pictures Co-producer
Co-written with Tracy Oliver
Girls Trip 2017 Yes No No No Universal Pictures Co-written with Tracy Oliver and Erica Rivinoja
Little 2019 No No Yes No
Shaft Yes No Executive No Warner Bros. Pictures / Netflix Co-written with Alex Barnow
The Witches 2020 Yes No No No Warner Bros. Pictures Co-written with Robert Zemeckis and Guillermo del Toro
Soul No No No Yes Pixar Animation Studios Special thanks[21]
Coming 2 America 2021 Yes No Executive No Amazon Studios / Paramount Pictures Co-written with Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield
Cheaper by the Dozen 2022 Yes No Yes No Disney+ / Walt Disney Pictures / 20th Century Studios Co-written with Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry and Craig Titley
You People Yes Yes Yes No Netflix Directing debut
Co-written with Jonah Hill
The Wizard of Oz TBA No Yes No No Warner Bros. Pictures / New Line Cinema Co-production with The Hideaway Entertainment and Temple Hill Entertainment

Television series

Title Year Credited as Network Notes
Actor Creator Director Writer Executive
producer
Girlfriends 2000–2008 No No No Yes No UPN/The CW
America's Next Top Model 2003–2018 No Yes No No No UPN/The CW/VH1
Soul Food 2002–2004 No No No Yes No Showtime
Listen Up! 2004–2005 No No No Yes No CBS
The Game 2006–2014 No No No Yes No The CW/BET
Are We There Yet? 2011–2012 No No No Yes No TBS
I Hate My Teenage Daughter 2012–2013 No No No Yes No Fox
Black-ish 2014–2022 No Yes Yes Yes Yes ABC
Grown-ish 2018–present No Yes No Yes Yes Freeform
Mixed-ish 2019–2021 No Yes No Yes Yes ABC
Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show 2019 No No No No Yes Netflix
BlackAF 2020 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Character: Kenya Barris
We the People 2021 No No No No Yes
Entergalactic 2022 No No No No Yes
The Vince Staples Show[22] 2023 No No No No Yes Pre-production

Awards

In 2019, Black-ish won several NAACP Image Awards. It was named best comedy series and Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson took acting honors. Black-ish was the winner of the Entertainment and Children's Peabody Award in 2016.[23] Barris and Black-ish also won the 2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.[24] Barris was nominated for the same award in 2018. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021, and a PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy for Black-ish in 2014.[25] In 2016, Barris won the Rod Serling Award for Advancing Social Justice Through Popular Media.[26]

In 2018, he donated $1 million to Clark Atlanta University, and was granted an honorary doctorate in humane letters.[27]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 'Soul' Filmmakers on Alternate Endings and the Meryl Streep Movie That Influenced the Story
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links


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