Why Ilonka From The Midnight Club Looks So Familiar

The most recent role for Iman Benson was as Drea Barris, the teenage daughter of Kenya Barris (playing a fictionalized version of himself) and Joya Barris (Rashida Jones) in Netflix’s “#blackAF.” The show explored the trials and tribulations of a Black family who has recently become wealthy. Humor and insight were frequent themes of the series in what Netflix described as “Barris’ irreverent, highly flawed, unbelievably honest approach to parenting, relationships, race, and culture” (per IndieWire). Although the show mixed drama with humor, it also contained many reminders of Barris’ penchant for laugh-out-loud comedy in his other sitcom “Black-ish,” which he also based around his life experiences. 

When asked what her favorite scenes to film were by Harper’s Bazaar in 2020, Benson responded, “I think for me, my favorite scenes to film were anything that were vulnerable experiences. Another thing would be interviews that I had specifically with Kenya. I felt like they were spaces that me and him were both vulnerable together. Whether that be because this was experiences that he was going through or just experiences that I had gone through in my life, but I was reflecting it through Drea’s character.” 

With that mind, it’s probably not surprising that Benson went on to explore vulnerability and her own life reflections to great effect in “The Midnight Club.”

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