On June 23rd, 2022, beloved ‘Insecure’ alum and showrunner and star of new ALLBLK series ‘Send Help’, Jean Elie proposed to his longtime girlfriend Randall Bailey while on vacation in Greece.
Not only is Jean celebrating his engagement but he is also looking forward to debuting his new series Send Help on August 11, 2022.
ALLBLK, the popular streaming service for Black television and film from AMC Networks, announced on Thursday, Send Help, the coming-of-age dark comedy series from actor, Jean Elie (Insecure, Colin in Black & White), and writer, Mike Gauyo (Insecure, Ginny & Georgia) is set to premiere Thursday, August 11.
This half-hour dramedy follows Fritz Jean-Baptiste (Jean Elie), a first-generation Haitian American actor who is on top of the world, since landing a starring role on fictional hit TV show, This Can’t Be Us…all while being the sole support system for his incredibly demanding Haitian family, reeling from a recent tragedy. Fritz is firing on all cylinders, until he receives a fateful call delivering the news of his shows’ cancellation. As Fritz struggles to conquer his feelings of imposter syndrome, the Hollywood community, and high maintenance family, he leans on his closest friends and confidantes…Patrick Cantave (Catfish Jean, Survivor’s Remorse), Nicole Cooper(Courtney Taylor, Insecure) and Sebastian “Simp” Gauyo (Amin Joseph, Snowfall), whose presence serves as a guide for Fritz, helping him navigate the difficult and often comical scenarios in his life. Now unemployed, will Fritz be able to keep his family afloat, while struggling to overcome the challenges of, once again, “making it” in Hollywood?
Additional cast includes Karina Bonnefil (Snowfall, David Makes Mann), Karen Obilom (Games People Play, upcoming House Party reboot) and Kimiko Singer (Emily the Criminal), and a fresh new face, Ana Bowen.
“I am extremely excited to finally share this series with the world, as it’s been a labor of love for the last several years. As a first generation Haitian American, I was honored to bring this, first of its kind, Haitian American story to the big screen,” stated lead actor and co-creator Jean Elie. “I’m so grateful to the community of dedicated creators that are bringing Send Help to life. From the writer’s room, to the incredible cast, to everyone behind the scenes – we can’t wait to bring you along Fritz’s journey to figuring out how to get out of his own way.”
“The magic of telling diverse, nuanced, stories like Send Help is that it can be a very culturally specific show, while also touching on universal themes that everyone can relate to,” added writer and co-creator, Mike Gauyo. “Jean and I are extremely proud of the show and the team that came together to create it…can’t wait for folks to watch.”
Jean Elie serves as executive producer through his Bassett House Pictures production arm. Mike Gauyo, serves as executive producer through his Black Boy Writes Media production arm. Matt Hoklotubbe, Michael J. McGarry and Francesca Smith serve as producers in association with Whistle Studios. And General Manager, Brett Dismuke and SVP of Development & Production, Nikki Love, serve as executive producers for ALLBLK.
Photos courtesy of Michelle Rodriguez PR