Jean Elie is coming back to our television screens, this time in a somewhat different role than his time as Ahmal Dee, Issa Rae's little brother on Insecure. The actor is stepping into a lead role with his new series, Send Help, which he created alongside his producing partner Mike Gauyo. Here's what we know so far.
The half-hour dramedy follows Fritz Jean-Baptise (Jean Elie) as a first-generation Haitian American actor living large after he finally lands a lead role in a top fictional TV show, This Can't Be Us. The young actor soon realizes his success goes beyond just himself, as he becomes the main support for his insistent family, who are all dealing with a recent tragedy. When Fritz finally feels like he made it in the biz and can take care of all his loved ones, things quickly take a change for the worst when he gets a phone call declaring that the show was canceled.
The seven-episode season will show how Fritz handles the news of his canceled show while managing his family's finances and figuring out how to start all over in the industry. The show highlights some pretty important themes, from dealing with imposter syndrome to managing family challenges and the relevance of a strong supportive community. Patrick Cantave (Catfish Jean), Nicole Cooper (Courtney Taylor), and Sebastian "Simp" Gauyo (Amin Joseph) will also be starring in the long-awaited show.
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Elie shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming show, saying, "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." His co-creator Mike Gauyo added, "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." He continued, "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." Make sure to catch the show as soon as it drops on ALLBLK, beginning August 11.