Antonia Gentry landed her first major role—Ginny on Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia—fresh out of college. It was the perfect time for the actor to take on the role of a 15-year-old learning about self-discovery, empowerment, and growth. As Gentry said on her Instagram, she felt an instant, unique connection to Ginny’s attempts to find her place in the world: “Finally, a character who was just as confused and imperfect as I was gets a chance to exist.”
Ginny & Georgia tells the story of Ginny and her mother Georgia (Brianne Howey) as they navigate both everyday difficulties and the secrets of Georgia’s past. For Gentry, this means she is often faced with displaying the complicated internal world of a teen. High schooler Ginny deals with typical adolescent quandaries, such as crushes and friend drama, but also problems of a larger magnitude like microaggressions stemming from her biracial heritage and mental health struggles.
Gentry, who grew up acting in her mother’s theater productions, had always known she wanted to be an actress. But no one could have predicted that Ginny & Georgia would seize audiences the way it did. Nor could she have known that she’d find a character that fit her so well.
The Atlanta-bred actor has said that doing scenes in the show allowed her to heal from her own experiences feeling isolated due to her race, and to recover from times she felt “voice-less and unimportant.” Gentry’s voice is certainly being heard now. Read on for her letter to her younger self.
This story appears in the pages of MINI V: Issue Two (Summer 2023): now available for purchase!
Photography Charlotte Rutherford
Fashion Annie Lavie
Text Sarah John
Editor-in-Chief Mathias Rosenzweig
Editor Kevin Ponce
Makeup Dana Delaney (The Wall Group)
Hair Marty Harper (The Wall Group)
Manicure Imoan Nails
Photo Assistants Lance Williams, Joey Abreu
Stylist Assistant Ella Mae
Production Photobomb
Location Jk Media Studio, Los Angeles
