Kenya Barris

American television writer and producer (born 1973)

Kenya Barris

Barris at SXSW 2025

Born|  (1973-08-09) August 9, 1973 (age 51)

Inglewood, California, U.S.

Other names| Kenya 'Yee' Harris
Alma mater| Clark Atlanta University
Occupations|

* Film and television writer
* producer
* director
* actor

Years active| 1997–present
Spouse|

Rainbow Edwards Barris

(m. 1999; sep. 2022)​

Children| 6

Kenya Barris (born August 9, 1973) is an American film and television writer, producer, director, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the ABC sitcom Black-ish (2014–2022).

## Early life and education

[edit]

Barris, the second-youngest among four siblings, was born to Tina, who worked as a real estate agent, and her former husband Patrick, who was a factory worker at General Motors. Barris grew up in Inglewood and Pacoima, California.[1] He was named after the country of Kenya, which his father had visited.[2] His parents divorced when he was a child.[3]

He is an alumnus of Clark Atlanta University where he started out studying medicine.[4][5][6]

## Career

[edit]

Barris has created numerous television shows, including the critically acclaimed Black-ish. The award-winning series also has two spin-offs, Grown-ish and Mixed-ish,[7] and a third potential spin-off Old-ish.[8] He was a writer for The Game, Girlfriends, and Soul Food.[7][5][9] Barris co-created and produced America's Next Top Model with Tyra Banks.[10] He penned the film Girls Trip. He co-produced the 2019 film Little[11] and co-wrote the screenplay for the 2019 theatrical release Shaft.

In 2020, Barris made his acting debut in #BlackAF, a series he developed for Netflix, co-starring Rashida Jones and Iman Benson.[12][13][14] In October 2020, Barris announced that he would write, produce, and direct a biopic on comedian Richard Pryor for MGM.[15]

Also in 2020, it was reported his production company, Khalabo Ink Society, was considering a deal with ViacomCBS.[16] His company entered a multi-project development deal with Audible in 2021.[17]

In 2021, it was reported that Barris was developing a potential television series, Brown-ish, with Eva Longoria.[18]

In August 2022, it was announced that Barris would write and direct a modern remake of The Wizard of Oz.[19] In January 2024, he confirmed that he finished penning the script for the film and announced that he is also in development on a modern remake of It's a Wonderful Life, with the intention to cast a person of color in the lead role of George Bailey.[20]

## Personal life

[edit]

Barris married anesthesiologist Dr. Rania "Rainbow" Edwards Barris in 2000. They have six children.[21] His wife filed for divorce in 2014, and Barris filed for divorce in 2019: the couple reconciled and withdrew their divorce petitions both times. Barris filed for divorce a second time in 2022.[22][23][24][25]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Films

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Credited as  | Studio  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Writer  | Director  | Producer  | Other
Barbershop: The Next Cut | 2016  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Bros. Pictures | Co-producer
Co-written with Tracy Oliver
Girls Trip | 2017  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Universal Pictures | Co-written with Tracy Oliver and Erica Rivinoja
Little | 2019  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  |
Shaft | Yes  | No  | Executive  | No  | Warner Bros. Pictures / Netflix | Co-written with Alex Barnow
The Witches | 2020  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Warner Bros. Pictures | Co-written with Robert Zemeckis and Guillermo del Toro
Soul | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Pixar Animation Studios | Special thanks[26]
Coming 2 America | 2021  | Yes  | No  | Executive  | No  | Amazon Studios / Paramount Pictures | Co-written with Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield
Cheaper by the Dozen | 2022  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | No  | Disney+ / Walt Disney Pictures / 20th Century Studios | Co-written with Jenifer Rice-Genzuk Henry and Craig Titley
You People | 2023  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Netflix | Directing debut
Co-written with Jonah Hill
White Men Can't Jump | 2023  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | Hulu / 20th Century Studios | Co-written with Doug Hall
The Underdoggs | 2024  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
The Wizard of Oz | TBA  | Yes  | Yes  | No  | No  | Warner Bros. Pictures / New Line Cinema | Co-production with The Hideaway Entertainment and Temple Hill Entertainment
It's a Wonderful Life | TBA  | Yes  | Yes  | TBA | TBA | Paramount Pictures | TBA

### Television series

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Credited as  | Network  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Actor  | Creator  | Director  | Writer  | Executive
producer
Girlfriends | 2000–2008  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | UPN/The CW |
America's Next Top Model | 2003–2018  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | No  | UPN/The CW/VH1 |
Soul Food | 2002–2004  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Showtime |
Like Family | 2004  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | The WB |
Listen Up | 2004–2005  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | CBS |
The Game | 2006–2014  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | The CW/BET |
Are We There Yet? | 2011–2012  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | TBS |
I Hate My Teenage Daughter | 2012–2013  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | No  | Fox |
Black-ish | 2014–2022  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | ABC |
Grown-ish | 2018–2024  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | Freeform |
Mixed-ish | 2019–2021  | No  | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Yes  | ABC |
Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show | 2019  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Netflix |
BlackAF | 2020  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Character: Kenya Barris
We the People | 2021  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  |
Entergalactic | 2022  | No  | Yes  | No  | No  | Yes  | Television special
The Vince Staples Show[27] | 2023  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | Pre-production
Diarra from Detroit | 2024  | No  | No  | No  | No  | Yes  | BET+

## Awards

[edit]

In 2019, Black-ish won several NAACP Image Awards. It was named best comedy series and Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson took acting honors. Black-ish was the winner of the Entertainment and Children's Peabody Award in 2016.[28] Barris and Black-ish also won the 2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.[29] Barris was nominated for the same award in 2018. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021, and a PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy for Black-ish in 2014.[30] In 2016, Barris won the Rod Serling Award for Advancing Social Justice Through Popular Media.[31]

In 2018, he donated $1 million to Clark Atlanta University, and was granted an honorary doctorate in humane letters.[32]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "blackish Creator Kenya Barris' Life Story: Poverty to Hollywood Success". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
2. ^ Ito, Robert (September 6, 2015). "Mostly Joking: "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris's balancing act". The California Sunday Magazine.
3. ^ Nussbaum, Emily (April 18, 2016). "In Living Color". The New Yorker.
4. ^ "You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes : Kenya Barris Returns".
5. ^ a b "Kenya Barris On 'Black-ish' And What Kids Lose When They Grow Up With More". NPR.org.
6. ^ "The True Story Behind Golden Globe Nominee black-ish: Creator's Path from Poverty to Hollywood". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
7. ^ a b Nussbaum, Emily (April 25, 2016). "In Living Color" - via The New Yorker.
8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2021-05-18). "ABC Boss On Status Of 'Old-ish' & 'Brown-ish', Expanding 'Black-ish' & 'Modern Family' Universes And Passing On Alec Baldwin/Kelsey Grammer Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 21, 2015). "'black-ish' Creator Kenya Barris Inks Overall Deal With ABC Studios".
10. ^ Nussbaum, Emily (April 25, 2016). "In Living Color". The New Yorker.
11. ^ Harriot, Michael (January 9, 2019). "#BlackGirlMagic: Black-ish Star Marsai Martin Set to Become Youngest Executive Producer in Hollywood History". The Grapevine. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2019-05-10). "Kenya Barris & Rashida Jones To Star In Barris' First Netflix Series 'Black Excellence'". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
13. ^ Rico, Klaritza (2020-03-19). "TV News Roundup: Showtime Releases 'Billions' Season 5 Trailer". Variety. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
14. ^ "#BlackAF". IMDB.
15. ^ Kay, Jeremy (2020-10-26). "MGM, 'Black-ish' creator Kenya Barris line up Richard Pryor biopic". Screen. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2020-10-31). "Kenya Barris In Talks With ViacomCBS To Partner In New Studio, Eyes Exit From Netflix Deal". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
17. ^ "Kenya Barris' Khalabo Ink Society Strikes Exclusive Deal with Audible | About Audible". www.audible.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
18. ^ "Kenya Barris Is Developing a 'Brown-ish' Series With Eva Longoria | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
19. ^ "Kenya Barris to Write & Direct Reimagining of 'Wizard of Oz' for Warner Bros; Khalabo Ink Society Producing". 15 August 2022.
20. ^ Sharf, Zack (2024-01-20). "Kenya Barris' Richard Pryor Biopic Is a 10-Episode Series; New 'Wizard of Oz' Is Set in Inglewood and 'It's a Wonderful Life' Remake Has POC Lead: 'I'm Still a Believer in IP'". Variety. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
21. ^ Italie, Leanne (May 1, 2018). "Pearls of parenting wisdom from the real Bow Johnson". Associated Press.
22. ^ Canfield, David (May 17, 2018). "How black-ish reflects the life of its creator — and his wife, Rainbow Edwards-Barris". Entertainment Weekly.
23. ^ "'Black-ish' Creator Kenya Barris to Divorce Wife of 20 Years". The Hollywood Reporter. August 12, 2019.
24. ^ Naumann, Ryan (May 21, 2020). "'Black-Ish' Creator Kenya Barris Calls Off Divorce From Wife Rainbow". The Blast.
25. ^ Saad, Nardine (2022-06-08). "'Black-ish' creator Kenya Barris files for divorce from wife Rania for a third time". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
26. ^ 'Soul' Filmmakers on Alternate Endings and the Meryl Streep Movie That Influenced the Story
27. ^ Deville, Chris (6 September 2022). "Vince Staples Will Star In A Netflix Sitcom Loosely Based On His Life". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
28. ^ "75th Annual Entertainment & Children's Programming Winners". Peabody Awards. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
29. ^ "48th NAACP Image Awards". 48th NAACP Image Awards. NAACP Image Awards. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
30. ^ "Kenya Barris Awards". IMDB. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
31. ^ Lewis, Dave (11 November 2016). "Creator of 'black-ish' Kenya Barris to receive the 2016 Rod Serling Award". ENTERTAINMENT/TELEVISION. L.A. Times.
32. ^ Suggs, Ernie. "Blackish creator to give million-ish to Clark Atlanta University in Grown-ish gift". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. AJC.

## External links

[edit]

* Kenya Barris at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Kenya Barris

TV series created|

* America's Next Top Model (2003–2018)
* Black-ish (2014–2022)
* Grown-ish (2018–2024)
* Mixed-ish (2019–2021)
* #blackAF (2020)

Films written|

* Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)
* Girls Trip (2017)
* Shaft (2019)
* Roald Dahl's The Witches (2020)
* Coming 2 America (2021)
* Cheaper by the Dozen (2022)
* You People (2023, also directed)
* White Men Can't Jump (2023)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Poland

Academics|

* CiNii

Artists|

* Emmy Awards

Other|

* IdRef

*[m.]: married
*[sep.]: separated
*[TBA]: To be announced
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template