Netflix’s #blackAF: The Main Actors & Who They Play In Real Life, In Pictures

The real-life-inspired mockumentary sitcom #blackAF has been renewed for a second season on Netflix. Created by actor, writer, director, producer Kenya Barris, the show follows a newly-rich Black family’s messy attempt to navigate the unknown world of fame and money. In real life, Kenya Barris, his wife, and their six children went through a similar experience after the success of Black-ish, Grown-ish, and Mixed-ish, which made Barris a TV mogul and led him to a nine-figure deal with Netflix.

The many hilarious situations the Barris family finds itself in are shown from the point of view of Kenya Barris’ daughter Drea, an aspiring film student making a documentary on her family to apply to the NYU film school. But Drea is not the only character in the sitcom to have an off-screen counterpart, like his previous shows, Kenya Barris’ real family is his main source of inspiration.

8 Kenya Barris Aka Kenya Barris

In his acting debut, Kenya Barris plays a hyper-realized version of himself. According to Barris in an interview with the L.A. Times, on-screen Kenya is much more of a jerk, saying things the real Kenya would never say, a similar juxtaposition found in the fictional version of Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Even though he had no previous acting experience, the show’s creator decided to play the part to make the story more personal and increase the buzz around the show. Kenya received the support of his co-star Rashida Jones and later admitted to this being the hardest creative decision he’s ever made.

7 Joya Barris Aka Dr. Rainbow Edwards-Barris

Rashida Jones plays the role of Kenya Barris’ high school sweetheart, now wife, lawyer, and mother of six, Joya Barris. But the long marriage to Kenya Barris, having six kids, and being biracial are the only similarities the matriarch of the Barris family carries with her off-screen version.

In real-life, Dr. Rainbow Barris, better known as Bow, works as an anesthesiologist in Los Angeles, and in 2018, she published her first book, Keeping Up With the Johnsons: Bow’s Guide To Black-ish Parenting.

6 Chloe Barris Aka Kaleigh Barris

In the show, Genneya Walton plays Chloe, the oldest daughter of Kenya and Joya Barris. Chloe is 18 years old and studies film at USC in California. In real life, the oldest Barris kid is Kaleigh Barris, and according to her Instagram page, she is also a film student at UCS.

Kenya Barris told Variety that he made sure Kaleigh read all the scripts before they went into production. Because so many of her friends watch Netflix, he wanted to give his daughter a heads-up. He also said that his kids’ support was the biggest boost he needed. Like Chloe and Drea in the show, Kaleigh is very close to her younger sister, Leyah.

5 Drea Barris Aka Leyah Barris

Iman Benson plays Kenya Barris’ second-oldest daughter, an aspiring NYU film student, and the documentary director. In real life, Leyah is the second oldest daughter, an actual NYU film student, and a big film enthusiast.

According to her production company’s website, from the moment she picked up her first camera, Leyah knew she had found a way to express her creativity. She has written and directed multiple short films and plays that give space to marginalized and often unheard voices.

4 Izzy Barris Aka Lola Barris

Scarlet Spencer plays the middle child Izzy, a rebellious 12-year-old whose reputation for being scary was given by her own family.

In real life, the 13-year-old is named Lola, and she likes to keep it to herself. Her Instagram account has only one picture and several links to resources on how to support the Black Lives Matter cause, which shows that her young age isn’t a barrier to her activism.

3 Pops Barris Aka Beau Barris

Justin Claiborne (Marriage Story) plays the sweet and sensitive 10-year-old Pops, the oldest son of Joya and Kenya.

Off-screen, Beau is 11 years old and is known to have inspired the very serious and still relevant 2016 episode of Black-ish, titled “Hope,” in which the Johnson family watches the TV coverage of a court case involving a young black teenager and discusses the theme of police brutality.

2 Kam Barris Aka Kass Barris

Played by Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kam is the eight-year-old son of Joya and Kenya Barris, a compulsive liar with an innocent face. In real life, Kass Barris is currently nine years old, likes video-games, and has accompanied his father to the set of #blackAF.

1 Brooklyn Barris Aka Bronx Barris

Both named after the borough of New York City, both children are just three years old. In his TV debut, actor Richard Gardenhire Jr. plays Brooklyn, who spends most of his time with his infant care nanny.

In real life, Bronx was born prematurely after Rainbow struggled with preeclampsia during her pregnancy, a storyline that inspired the season 3 finale of Black-ish.

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