Thanks to my intern Kelly for this AMAZING blog post!
Cincy Chic was red carpet ready when we attended the premier of the hit HBO shows Ballers and Insecure last week!
The event was hosted by HBO and Trap Karaoke at Bogarts to debut the first episodes of the new seasons for the shows Ballers and Insecure which air July 23.
We had the incredible opportunity to chat with a few stars from the shows and get some insight on the upcoming seasons (and what it was like to work with The Rock!).
Yvonne Orji, who plays Molly from Insecure, reveals we will see a lot of her character trying not to repeat the same mistakes she made and bounce back from season 1.
Of season 2 she says, “It is hella funny, hella dope, hella deep, and it gets hella real. You should just watch!” Behind the scenes on set, the whole cast gets along creating a family environment and are super cool- even carpooling to work!
To her fans, Orji has a strong piece of advice: “Keep going, never let your dreams die.”
No spoilers here, but we will say that season 2 of Insecure will not disappoint. Its raw humor, authentic portrayal of life and realness continues to make it one of the most relatable “dramedies” (drama + comedy) on television.
Jazmyn Simon, who plays Julie from Ballers, says that this season fans will see her character’s strength. Previously, her character’s career as an orthopedist took a backseat to supporting her husband’s career, but this season we will see her return to work!
“When Stephen Levinson wrote this role, he wrote her strong. I think when you hear ‘football player’s wife’ you automatically have a stereotype in your mind,” she says. “When I received the material, I knew that is not who she was going to be. Just because someone is with an athlete, doesn’t mean they are a stereotypical ‘WAG’- she’s a doctor!”
Donovan Carter, who plays Vernon Littlefield from Ballers, is looking forward to fans seeing the show and all of the hard work that went into creating season 3. His character has made some mistakes the past couple of seasons but is persevering and looking to grow from those experiences.
“I can relate to Vernon because I am laid back and like to play around but I don’t depend on too many people the way he does, I step for myself. But he is learning to stand on his own two feet,” says Carter. He also adds that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is an inspiration- no matter what level you are, stay humble and true to yourself.
No spoilers, but the Ballers’ world is expanding and we will see where this season takes them next. The entire first episode is filled with witty humor and a shocking reveal at the end!
After the press line, the event continued with a VIP reception and pre-viewing party complete with catered food and cocktails, custom printed tees (ours says HELLA CHIC), and custom created artwork by local artist Mark Thesken that was later donated to the Ronald McDonald House.
Following the screening of Ballers then Insecure was an insane after party put on by Trap Karaoke. Guests were invited to the stage to perform their best rap for the crowd!
The premier for the hit HBO shows Ballers and Insecure was a success! With promo lines like “If you build it, they will come” (Ballers) and “Hella Out There” (Insecure), we expected nothing less.
Don’t miss HBO’s hit shows, season 3 of Ballers at 10 and season 2 of Insecure at 10:30 on Sunday July 23!