Cast of Freeform’s ‘The Come Up’ Explain the Difference Between Clout Chasing and Professional Growth
Freeform is transitioning into the world of reality television with its first-ever docuseries, The Come Up. The show follows six young creatives living and working in New York as they pursue love, art, and friendship defined by their own terms. The cast is a mix of diverse, ambitious, and action-oriented Gen Zers whose careers are rising. Rounding out the cast are Taofeek Abijako, Fernando Casablancas, Ben Hard, Claude Shwartz, Ebon Gore, and Sophia Wilson. They work in various industries, including modeling, fashion design, photography, acting, and nightlife promotion.
Premiering on Sept. 13, it’s a show the Freeform audience has been waiting for. And in a world where everyone is on the come-up, it’s one viewers will be able to relate to. But is there a fine line between chasing one’s dreams and doing things for clout? In a digital era where everyone’s lives are on display with perfectly curated social media profiles, it may be hard to distinguish such. But the cast has really strong opinions on clout vs come up, and dished on it in an exclusive chat with Showbiz.
Sophia says clout chasing involves manipulation
Considered to be a prodigy in photography, Sophia has shot campaigns for major brands like Google, Nike, Peloton, Converse, Fenty, Instagram, and Pepsi and established publications like Vogue, Elle, New York Magazine, i-D, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Hypebeast, Highsnobiety, Nylon, and beyond. She bid adieu to NYU in her final year of college to focus full-time on her career. And being in the competitive space of fashion photography, she knows a thing or two about her industry peers doing things for clout, and she’s no fan.
“Clout chasing is manipulation,” Sophia said firmly in an interview with Shadow and Act. But she says you won’t catch the cast of The Come Up engaging. “A lot of people do it, but that’s not what we’re doing on the show. It’s not what we’re seen doing on the show at all. We’re seen coming up into our own lives individually and finding ourselves and coming of age, which is super different than using other people for fame.”
Claude says the show chronicles growing pains and coming into one’s own
The Tribeca native is an actress who honed her skills at David Mamet’s Atlantic Theater Company, the Meisner technique and graduated from Tufts. After making her off-broadway debut, she also walked for Batsheva in NYFW Spring/Summer 2022. She says the show rids itself of a clout-chasing cast, and instead focuses on their true growth in their respective careers.
“I think it’s more of a reflection of where I’m past growing up, and I’m moving on to my career, and I’m trying to make it happen, and I think it reflects coming up in that way,” she explained. “And I don’t think it’s clout chasing. I think clout chasing is way more about gaining things for like nefarious reasons.”
Ebon feels there could be blurred lines at times with clout chasing and the idea of being on the come up
A lover of Brooklyn, Ebon’s dream is to be a multi-hyphenate in the public eye. She splits her time between being an active organizer of queer nightlife, and modeling for the likes of Milk Makeup, Parade, and Ganni. While she doesn’t necessarily have anything against anyone who decides to do things for clout, admitting that “everyone does it sometimes,” she says she strays from the concept.
“When you’re coming up, it’s very real. It’s very it’s something that you’re doing because you love a come up and usually, it comes very naturally,” she says. “You’re not forcing anything you may or may not be doing when you’re chasing a little bit of clout. But I don’t think either is too bad. Just make sure it’s just authentic and raw and is true to yourself.”
