What You Should Know About Ginny & Georgia's Antonia Gentry

Ginny & Georgia is the new mother-daughter drama we didn't know we needed, and we're kind of obsessed with newcomer Antonia Gentry. In the Netflix series that Refinery29 called "Gilmore Girls meets Thelma & Louise," the up-and-coming actor plays a rebellious 15-year-old settling into a small town with her young mom (played by Brianne Howey). With major roles with Netflix under her belt, it seems like there isn't anything Gentry can't do — and we're dying to know more!

The 23-year-old Gentry is a chameleon, switching seamlessly between her role as a conspiracy theorist in Netflix's Raising Dion and as a high schooler in the romantic comedy Candy Jar. Although her career started somewhat recently, Gentry told WWD that her interest in acting kicked off when she was "like four or six." Around that time, she saw the movie The Pianist, and Adrien Brody's performance was a lightbulb moment for her. "I just was so in awe of his incredible talent and dedication ... that movie was the one that really piqued my interest in performing and becoming an actor," she said. 

As her IMDb page noted, the Atlanta native attended John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. She then went to Emory University, and as she recalled to W, she was still in college when she got Ginny & Georgia. "My professors were understanding and encouraging for the most part, but it was pretty hard bouncing back and forth between being a full-time college student, working part-time, and also trying to pursue this career," she shared.

Ginny & Georgia wasn't Gentry's first big acting gig. As W noted, she landed a part in Jasmine in Netflix's Candy Jar when she was still at Emory University, and after that, as POPSUGAR pointed out, she nabbed the role of Wendy in Raising Dion. Gentry was also a member of a college improv troupe, something she mentioned on Instagram when she graduated. In essence, the actor paid her dues, and primed herself for the success she's experiencing today.

It may seem like Gentry is all work and no play, with having to balance school and life as an actor. However, the actor is known to let loose too, posting photos to her Instagram that show her having picnics, Halloween parties, and cooking get-togethers with friends. She also has a long-term boyfriend named Ezra Pounds, who is an Atlanta-based producer. According to POPSUGAR, the two have been an item since 2012. And yes, they are really adorable together.

Moreover, Gentry brings her mixed-race identity to the forefront, never shying away from speaking about the adversity she has experienced. She spoke to Teen Vogue about how incredible it was to play a biracial character on Ginny & Georgia, and that "as a biracial person, [she] learned a lot from playing Ginny. There's so many different experiences within the multi-racial community." Being able to add her own input to the character made filming the show a "phenomenal" time for the star, and we can't wait to see what she does next!