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As it enters season 5, Grown-ish will see the return of many of its cast members and welcome some new, excited faces. A spinoff from the hit show, Black-ish, Grown-ish premiered on Freeform (available through Hulu Live TV) in 2018 and follows Black-ish character Zoey on her journey to independence as she sets off for college. And although it has been recently announced that the beloved show, Black-ish, will end with season 8, the show’s spinoffs, Grown-ish, Mixed-ish, and the forthcoming Old-ish allow fans many great ways to keep up with the Johnson family. 

'Grown-ish' cast members wearing graduation gowns and caps
Luka Sabbat as Luca Hall, Francia Raisa as Ana Torres, Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Diggy Simmons as Doug, Emily Arlook as Nomi, and Chloe Bailey as Jazz Forster | Jabari Jacobs/Getty Images

Marcus Scribner from Black-ish joins Grown-ish season 5

Grown-ish season 5 will see the addition of fellow Black-ish star, Marcus Scribner. Reprising his role as Zoey’s younger brother Andre Johnson Jr., Scribner’s character will spend the upcoming season exploring the pitfalls and perks of young adulthood. In describing his role in the show, the network (via Variety) says, “he embarks on his own journey to being grown.” 

Scribner is no stranger to Grown-ish, however. Scribner’s first appearance on the show was in 2019 and he has had several guest appearances since, leading to his starring role in Grown-ish season 5.

Other returning cast members and more Black-ish additions

Many of the other stars of the show will be returning for the fifth season as well. Freeform told Variety,

“ … additional casting for Season 5 will be revealed at a later date. For now, besides Shahidi, Grown-ish stars Trevor Jackson, Jordan Buhat, Emily Arlook, Francia Raisa, Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Luka Sabbat and Diggy Simmons.”

In addition to Shahidi and Scribner, Black-ish executive producer/showrunner Courtney Lilly will join Russian Doll and La Brea producer Zakiyyah Alexander as co-showrunners for the season. Also, Kenya Barris continues as Grown-ish creator, the reigning emperor of the –ish franchise.

And on a final, humorous note, Deon Cole will continue his role as professor Charlie Telphy in Grown-ish season 5. Cole also plays Telphy in Black-ish and his appearance in the spinoff, along with how he manages to work two different full-time careers, has yet to be explained. 

Hopefully, fans of Black-ish should have plenty to keep them going, with many forthcoming seasons of Grown-ish following the end of the beloved show.

Grown-ish is a showcase for Black-ish star Yara Shahidi

The oldest of the Johnson children, Zoey’s character on Black-ish gave rise to the undeniable talent of Yara Shahidi. Shahidi has been acting since childhood, with appearances on shows like Entourage, Cold Case, Lie to Me, and the iconic role of young Olivia in Scandal as well as blockbusters like 2010’s Salt. More recently, she starred in 2019’s The Sun is Also a Star and has lent her voice to many iconic animated characters through her voiceover work, but she is also a producer, director, writer, and activist—all by the age of 22. 

It was, however, her role as Zoey in Black-ish that put her on the map, winning her two BET Awards, a Gracie Allen Award, and an Image Award from the NAACP for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Four years after the premiere of Black-ish, Grown-ish debuted and has since collected a slew of nominations from the People’s Choice Awards and the Image Awards.

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