Executive producers: Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, Robbie Rogers. Why do you think Simone ultimately decides breaking up is the right choice? More:All American: What Jordan & Simone's Marriage Means For Her Spinoff. The dancers and our choreographers, Nico and Rhapsody, were amazing. It's an important aspect of her life because she's going to have to incorporate [baby Shay] and the decision to be in his life eventually. Airdate: 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21 (The CW) Cast: Geffri Maya, Peyton Alex Smith, Kelly Jenrette, Cory Hardrict, Sylvester Powell, Camille Hyde, Mitchell Edwards, Netta . And this is just the beginning, because All American: Homecoming has received a series order. At the moment, Simone is working on herself, but I am curious what can you say about how she'll navigate Damon and Thea's budding relationship? GeffriMaya is known for Private Practice (2007), WTF, Baron Davis (2019) and Loco (2020). It's a testament to something [creator Nkechi Okoro Carroll] wanted to talk about, because she is young and trying to figure herself out. Feb 21, 2022, 09:00 AM EST | Updated Jul 20, 2022. The girls pole dance at a dance studio while Simone watches.[3]. It was such a beautiful experience because it was so genuine. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. 'All American' Casts Kyanna Simone; Daniel Di Tomasso Joins 'The Not that you need to have seen the original in the first place, since Homecomings determination to do its own thing extends to its plot. Beyond his role in theAll American universe, audiences might also know Michael Evans Behling for his role inGrey's Anatomy andA Cinderella Story: Starstruck. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action, Inside the powerful, transformative 2nd episode of. ET on the CW. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. Ser Baffo/The CW. This seemed to be a clear move to set up Simone going off on her own forAll American: Homecoming. Talk to me a bit about their bond and relationship. To explore Black families, especially Black motherhood and sisterhood is important. From your point of view, what do you think they see in one another? Amara is responsible for revealing the truth about Bringston's former baseball coach and the academic scandal. Everyone loves a frenemy situation and this takes it to another level. The former assistant coach for Bringston's baseball team finds himself learning how to be a head coach in the series after the previous coach was fired for an academic scandal. Tennis is such a beautiful sport that I have respect for. Coopers love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn't until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Related:All American Season 3 Ending Explained. By How are you feeling about getting to tell the story of a Black tennis player? Oh, and an important development for the mothership series: Spencer and Olivia are finally getting together, yall! If Homecoming, like its lead characters, still seems to be trying out this and that to see what clicks, thats part of the charm right now. New Romance Brewing on Superman, Fox News 8 pm Viewership Down Sharply Since Tucker Carlson's Ouster, Stephen Amell Doesn't Think He's Done Playing Green Arrow. All American: Homecoming -- "Start Over" -- Image Number: AHC101a_0258r.jpg -- Pictured: Geffri Maya as Simone Hicks -- Photo: Ser Baffo/The CW -- (C) 2021 The CW Network, LLC. So why was her perspective not at the forefront? ET. It's time for her to take charge of who she is and [who] she wants to be. Here's who appears in theAll American spinoff. We're just getting to know Simone as an athlete. While there's a chance he could spend time as a recurring character on both shows, that could get complicated quickly. I give so much love and support to these athletes, especially Black athletes who constantly have to raise their bar every single time that they play. I know people are waiting for the mess, but I appreciate the question because outside of that aspect what Damon and Simone have in common is redefining their identity. That all of this is happening against the backdrop of an HBCU adds another layer of depth. As we all know from the mothership show All American, Simone had a baby at a very young age, and she gave the baby up for adoption and decided to stay in the baby's life. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How do you feel about getting to take Simone on this new journey? Thea doesnt have any friends as the girls from the team only tolerate her. All American: Homecoming's Geffri Maya on All American spinoff | EW.com Mondays episode of the CW drama doubled as the pilot for All American: Homecoming, a Simone-centric spinoff that was officially ordered to series in May. The original football drama based on Spencer Paysinger's pre-NFL careerhas become an incredibly popular series for The CW, as a wider continues to find it on Netflix. We see her in the promo when liv tells laura she released the footage and I honestly thought she was someone who worked for Laura didn't know it was Simones mom like tfffff. Netta Walker previously appeared inChicago Fire. When he isnt writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection because physical media is still king! New episodes of All American air Mondays at 8/7c on The CW and the franchise is expanding via All American: Homecoming, a Simone-centric spinoff that was ordered to series at the. There has not been any confirmation that actorMichael Evans Behling is part of Simone's spinoff. What Happened to Layla's Dad in 'All American'? Why Was - Distractify Simone, as we saw on All American, was always attached to something. Hopefully,All American: Homecoming does the work to continue developing Simones character to a fuller extent. What do you remember about shooting that scene? Simone has still only been a supporting character inAll American, although her excellent tennis abilities and desire to be a positive voice within the Black community have come to be defining parts of her story. All American Season 3 Episode 17 Review: All American: Homecoming New Romance Brewing on Superman, Fox News 8 pm Viewership Down Sharply Since Tucker Carlson's Ouster, Stephen Amell Doesn't Think He's Done Playing Green Arrow, All American Spinoff, Naomi Adaptation Snag Series Orders at The CW, All American Spinoff Adds Legacies' Peyton Alex Smith, 5 Others to Cast. This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. What I loved about the bonfire scene is the camaraderie. As long as Jordan and Simone stay together, though, the odds of Jordan appearing inAll American: Homecoming remains fairly high. Actress: Private Practice. Everyone needs a tribe, and I think they're part of each other's tribe outside of everything else. What are you hoping Homecoming explores about Simone's family? GeffriMaya. Simone admits she made a mistake by projecting her birthday wishes onto Thea, instead of listening to her wishes. We know people love Jordan and Simone together and everything they have overcome. Still, Simone should have had some room to develop onAll American before crossing over toAll American: Homecoming. Why AI Has Some Viewers Asking Which Film Actors Are Real. When it was time to decide if she wanted to adopt baby Shay, she had to consider her parents. She welcomes her niece's crew as family. A tennis prodigy, she takes her responsibility for representing the Black community in the sport very seriously. What do you remember from filming that scene? All American: Homecoming star Geffri Maya on Simone's eventful All She's going to learn work-life balance and tackle what it means to be an adult and to make certain decisions, but also what it means to dedicate yourself fully, because tennis is something we gave up and now she's deciding she is taking tennis very seriously. Although this proved to not be the case, Jordan and Simone fell in love and the two have had a strong relationship ever since. 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Simone has a rough start, but there was the fun at the bonfire. Simone Hicks has fallen in love with Bringston University in the backdoor pilot for, Geffri Maya as Simone on 'All American: Homecoming.'. GEFFRI MAYA: It was an amazing experience because it's where I started. Still, it followed the question of if the duo could succeed in a long-distance relationship, followed by her absence at prom to compete in a tennis competition. EW spoke to the All American: Homecoming star about honoring Black athletes, getting to tell Simone's story on the new show, what's next for her character's relationship with husband-to-be Jordan, and much more. Simone Hicks (Geffri Maya) had a hell of a trip back to Los Angeles. Its just that life is messy. All American 3x18 Simone & Jordan Doesn't get married That's what growing up really is, it's making certain decisions that are going to benefit you in the long run. He is an elite baseball prospect from Chicago who turned down a shot to play professionally to help Bringston's baseball program regain prominence. All American Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. OnceAll Americanrevealed their marriage, though, it's difficult not to think about what it means for Simone's spinoff. Thats why theyre the best. Real-life inspiration notwithstanding, The CWs All American seemed to fit pretty squarely into the template of high school dramas set in ultra-posh neighborhoods. That storyline will also be analyzed in a bit of a different way. Simone was a student at Beverly Hills High School and upon graduating, moved to Atlanta to attend Bringston University. And now for something completely different onAll American: tennis! She walks off and Thea nods a bit impressed.[1]. Earlier, when the series had shown the backdoor pilot forAll American: Homecoming, Damon Sims, the male lead to the spinoff, gets a heavier focus on his motivations for enrolling at Bringston University than Simone. Yellowstone's Kelly Reilly Offers Explanation For Her PaleyFest Absence, American Idol's Top 10 Revealed Live, Following Pair of Brutal Eliminations, Morning Show Renewed for Season 4 Plus, Find Out When Season 3 Will Air, Time100: The World's Most Influential People, Felicity Dj Vu on The Diplomat? What did you think ofAll American: Homecomings first episode? Also new to campus is Damon (Peyton Alex Smith), a charismatic baseball phenom who, to his mothers profound irritation, has deferred his plans to go pro in favor of enrolling at Bringston and helping the schools team rebuild under coach Marcus (Cory Hardrict) after a fake-class scandal derailed their last season. John Marshall Jones has previously appeared inFor All Mankind,Big Little Lies, andBosch. Season 2 . One user there wrote: "Between their terrible saves, their constant praise of mediocrity, and standing for every act (I've never seen judges more guilty of this than these Idol judges), I think it's time for a change." Rebecca Iannucci / We don't know what's going to be in store for Jordan and Simone's futures, whether together or apart. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Simone wants to get back to practicing, so Thea reminds her that real practice starts tomorrow and since the NCAA limits coaches hours, shell be running the drills, and her opinion does matter. Still, it seemed that Simone and Jordans story could have been preparing for an eventual breakup to give them each a chance to start fresh when they go to college. Youre 18, youre in college, and 18-year-olds are messy. Spooorts baa-aar". 'All American: Homecoming' EP on Simone and Jordan's - Variety Simone gives Loni her clearance note from President Allen, making it in time for Queen of the Court. In the morning, Simone begins tennis practice and Thea warns them theyll be there for a while. Amara is unapologetic in her desire to report the truth, which puts her at odds with the administration. All American: Homecoming Cast & Character Guide - Screen Rant Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. This is especially true considering there have been no signs that Jordan is moving toAll American: Homecoming. Is emotional cheating a thing and is that a thing you have to apologize for? This universe is just really special and I was coming home. The only thing I can and will always say is Black people should never be made to feel like they need permission to be who they are and to showcase their talents, dreams, and visions for themselves, and for their community. What all of them take seriously is that their friend group is extraordinary. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . The CW's 'All American: Homecoming': TV Review Yellowstone's Kelly Reilly Offers Explanation For Her PaleyFest Absence, American Idol's Top 10 Revealed Live, Following Pair of Brutal Eliminations, Morning Show Renewed for Season 4 Plus, Find Out When Season 3 Will Air, Time100: The World's Most Influential People, Felicity Dj Vu on The Diplomat? Sometimes that happens and you dont even notice that its getting complicated, Carroll tells Variety. As Damon shares his decision during an on-campus press conference, he states his intention to bring integrity back to Bringstons baseball program and though Damons mother looks less than thrilled to hear the news, Simone finds Damon after the presser and notes that he finally looks at peace. Simone Hicks (formerly Baker) is a recurring character in the The CW series All American and the main protagonist of its spinoff All American: Homecoming . Simone insists shes only spending the weekend to see her aunt but the school clearly grows on her while shes there, too. Marcus is a former professional baseball player who had his career ended by an injury. Amara faces the consequences of her actions. He helped get her there and allowed her to push through to be better, stronger, and wiser. [Rhoyle Ivy King, who plays Nathaniel Hardin] is an amazing partner because you want someone you can be vulnerable with. Amidst new obstacles, Simone Hicks discovers the makings of a found family in the. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. What were exploring is what friendship between members of the opposite sex look like and when that starts to get complicated. Peyton Alex Smith did appear inAll American: Homecoming's backdoor pilot, but viewers also might recognize him from his recurring role onLegacies asRafael Waithe. She leaves, feeling humiliated by the event. It'll be exciting for people to see Black girls from different backgrounds find ways to support one another. ), At first, Bringstons president is content to sweep the cheating under the rug; since these ghost classes were offered to everyone, and not just student athletes, the NCAA likely wont penalize the school for giving athletes exclusive advantages. Jordan, then her pregnancy. The series premieres Monday on the CW. Simone finds Thea later that evening and apologizes as she wanted to celebrate with her friends. All American Spinoff Adds Legacies' Peyton Alex Smith, 5 Others to Cast. We talk about it in our writers room, the boundaries around friendships, Carroll says. [Amara] serves as an inspiration as a woman, a Black woman, an educated Black woman. This revelation came as a huge surprise as nothing else in season 3 indicated their relationship advanced to this level. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Simone has a rough start to life at Bringston. Thea (Camille Hyde) and Simone have a frosty reunion. Thea's birthday is approaching, with Keisha McCalla making a gift bag for her as she does with all the girls in the dorm. Thea admits that shes always watching, showing her a series of text messages in which Loni admonishes Simone for sloppy footwork and unacceptable training. Although she has never been as central to the plot as the other main characters, knowing she was set to lead the spinoff series should have been a reason to give her a more substantial storyline before leaving. What was more challenging the tennis game scene or the dance sequence? It is a part of life because if you have a door open and you don't walk through it, there is an opportunity that somebody else will, and it's just the truth. Where to Watch Free Movies Online in 2023 - IGN As we know from the show's official . His future with theAll American universe seems to be with the main show, as he has dreams of continuing his football career. She is portrayed by Camille Hyde. Check out our daily must-see picks plus news, celeb interviews, trivia, and more on EW's What to Watch podcast. Simone knows shes messed up but she needs Loni to know shell never see Simone like that again. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. This episode was well set up on All American Season 3 Episode 16 as Simone, Jordan, Spencer, and Olivia sought to escape their personal drama by taking a college tour as many high school seniors do. I cannot wait until this is normalized and we're simply sharing what the world looks like, and what Black excellence looks like. He's a fantastic talent and being on All American since season 1, it's a testament to remaining diligent and dedicated to your craft to be take his character into this new space. They are different, and a lot of the times, what we need to do is not always comfortable. They might not be married anymore, but Jordan and Simone's relationship is as strong as ever heading into her spinoff show. Or is that just a really good friend whos there for you? she asks. Damons storyline needed to be set up and understood going into a new show. Not just to each other's arcs, but to All American. In class, Thea is assigned to Damon and Simone for an assignment in English literature. It's been time, so I'm grateful and honored for the opportunity. There's a beautiful history that stands firm on a foundation of strength, perseverance, art, music, and creativity. Everything was always about someone else and in that moment Damon supports her in doing what she wants. It's going to be interesting in terms of Damon, Thea, and Simone, because at the end of the day in terms of Damon and Simone, my biggest hope is that as the season progresses and hopefully we get a season 2 they navigate truth and learn or grow. Laura let Simone in her house to stay with them with Laura knowing the baby was not even Jordan's . The male lead of theAll Americanspin-off Homecoming is Damon Sims, played by Peyton Alex Smith. All American: Homecoming. There's an emotional scene where Simone and Nate have a ceremony to help Simone mourn the end of her relationship. At Bringston, Simone has an instant connection with Damon (Peyton Alex Smith) so, what does that mean for her and Jordan? Welcome to Bringston University: All American: Homecoming is bringing the HBCU experience back to TV, Meet Your Maker: All American: Homecoming creator Nkechi Okoro Carroll shares her inspirations, How All American explores the experiences of Black youth in America, Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter. What was shooting the backdoor pilot like? It was nerve wracking for us because we're not going to working together as much anymore. All American showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll will executive-produce and write Homecoming, while Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Robbie Rogers all exec producers on the mothership series are on board as EPs, as well. I grew up as a dancer. Simone is determined to be an effective mother to baby Shay and to embark on this new journey. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The last two women standing will battle to become Queen of the Court. 2023 TVLine Media, LLC. She challenges Simone to be her warm-up partner, and though Simone does get a couple of balls past Thea, Thea dominates most of the game. Since Jordan is still heavily involved with the original show, it seemsAll American: Homecoming will mix Behling into the show using FaceTime primarily, although physical appearances by the actor can still happen. July 5 2021, 6:00 PM PDT. You want your relationship with your scene partner to be secure enough to depend on that person, and having that moment with [Peyton] really secured our positions. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. By All Rights Reserved. This is years of working with this person, depending on him and supporting each other through the emotional trials of acting. So her coming back to the world of All American and experiencing home and Jordan in a different way plays a big part. Later, in a conversation with the aforementioned elite baseball player, Damon Sims more on him in a minute Simone is all too aware of the heavy tennis competition shes facing, and Damon encourages her to use that as motivation. It's important to keep Black kids excited about education and what's out there. Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. That night, Simone runs to the elevators as Thea passes. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Michael and I were both in our heads about the breakup scene because we know how pivotal the characters are. Marcus will even get his job back, this time ashead coach and not assistant! Simone, who was introduced inAll Americans second season, is currently a senior at Beverly High. As she, Olivia, Spencer and Jordan prepare to leave campus and return home, Jordan notes that his wife looks happy though when Simone gets in the car, Jordans now the one looking anxious about his and Simones future. It'll be exciting to see how they both navigate [Bringston] together and apart. All American: Homecoming makes its debut Monday, Feb. 21.The spin-off series will take viewers into Simone's (Geffri Maya) college years at Bringston University. Though Simone works to maintain a cool and composed faade, Maya lets her anxiety show in subtle facial expressions that grow gradually more drawn. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. During the series premiere of All American: Homecoming, we saw that Simone has a tough start to life as a college student. The CW is plotting a spinoff of its football-themed high school drama series All American . Related:All American: What [SPOILER]'s Survival Means For Season 4. Simone is a young adult now and she's gone through mental health issues in terms of her anxiety and panic attacks, which she has to tackle. Jordan was like the wind beneath her wings. Simone's tennis journey is about her coming into her own. It has to be earned. Back in Beverly Hills, Jordan seems to have a growing connection with Layla (Greta Onieogou), with whom hes been friends for years. What do you think Simone thinks of Damon by the end of the episode? The trajectory we see with Simone from season 2 [of All American] to All American: Homecoming is a lot of her decisions have always been made with someone else in mind. ET, followed by All American: Homecoming at 9 p.m. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. All American: Simone deserved a bigger part in season 4 - Culturess "It was just an exciting feeling to know Peyton and I are at the helm of this show and are able to see that and really fulfill a vision of bringing a universe together with so much love and so much fun," Maya says, looking back on filming the episode. As we head to the season finale, what can you share about Simone's journey in terms of tennis in the final episodes? With All American: Homecoming set to premiere on Monday, February 21, it would have made sense that Simone would have been a more significant focus in All American's fourth season.

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