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Earn
Donald Glover plays Earnest “Earn” Marks. Earn returns home to Atlanta after having dropped out of college, only to discover that his estranged cousin is doing the very thing he wants to do. Earn tries to get it on the action.
Image: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com
The Thesis
At the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour, Donald Glover stated the thesis of Atlanta: “The thesis with this show was to show people what it’s like to be black, and you can’t write that down. You have to feel it,” Glover said. “Amazing things can happen, but it can be taken away in a moment.”
Image: FX
Childish Gambino
Yes, Donald Glover plays an aspiring rapper on Atlanta, but don’t expect his character to mirror his own career as Childish Gambino. According to Glover, that would have been weird. Very weird. “I wouldn’t have enjoyed that. It’s possible to do that but then … that makes it harder for me to do music. It just clouds a lot of things. There’s a level of magic realism and suspended disbelief that you need for all genres, and it’s important for me as an artist to keep those all in tact.”
Image: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com
Zazie Beetz
New York native, actress and model Zazie Beetz plays Van, Glover’s girlfriend. Actually, their relationship is a bit more on the “it’s complicated” side. But one thing is certain: Van is rocking the hell out of that head wrap in the newly-released Atlanta promos.
Image: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com
Brian Tyree Henry
Book of Mormon star Brian Tyree Henry plays Alfred “Paperboy” Miles, a hot rapper and cousin of Earn who does his best to navigate music, growing fame and family.
Image: FX
The ATL
As you might expect, a show named after Atlanta prominently features the city as more than a mere backdrop. The ATL is practically its own character. Here’s what Brian Tyree Henry had to say about the city at the TCA: “Black people run Atlanta; it is our city. It’s the one little hub that I feel wants other people to come in and bring what they want and also expand what we already have. The language of Atlanta is more of how we talk and how we dress. It’s the embodiment of the people.”
Image: FX
Abstract
There’s an abstract kind of vibe to the Atlanta series. According to Glover, that’s a good thing because the show is about life, which has more questions than answers. But he’s not worried because Atlanta is grounded. “If you have something that is grounded on some level, you can go anywhere, and people want to go with you.”
Image: Matthia Clamer/FX
Serious Subjects
Atlanta executive producer Hiro Murai shared that the show doesn’t stray away from serious topics, and deals a lot with gray areas. Glover added, “I always want people to be scared, because that’s kind of how it feels to be black.”
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Directorial Debut
In addition to creating, executive producing and starring in Atlanta, Donald Glover will also direct two episodes of the show. We’re wondering if he has any plans to release any show-related music as well.
