Exclusive: Co-Creators Mike Gauyo and Jean Elie talk ALLBLK's dramedy series Send Help
Currently playing on ALLBLK is the new dramedy series Send Help from writer/co-creator Mike Gauyo (Insecure) and cast member/co-creator Jean Elie (Insecure, Colin in Black & White).
This half-hour dramedy follows Fritz Jean-Baptiste Jean Elie, a first-generation Haitian American actor, who is on top of the world since landing a starring role on fictional hit TV show, This Can’t Be Us…all while being the sole support system for his incredibly demanding Haitian family, and also reeling from a recent tragedy. Fritz is firing on all cylinders, until he receives a fateful call delivering the news of his shows’ cancellation. As Fritz struggles to conquer his feelings of imposter syndrome, the Hollywood community, and high maintenance family, he leans on his closest friends and confidantes…Patrick Cantave (Catfish Jean, Survivor’s Remorse), Nicole Cooper (Courtney Taylor, Insecure) and Sebastian “Simp” Gauyo (Amin Joseph, Snowfall), whose presence serves as a guide for Fritz. They help him navigate the difficult and often comical scenarios in his life. Now unemployed, will Fritz be able to keep his family afloat, while struggling to overcome the challenges of, once again, “making it” in Hollywood?
Additional cast includes Karina Bonnefil (Snowfall, David Makes Mann), Karen Obilom(Games People Play, upcoming House Party reboot) and Kimiko Singer (Emily the Criminal), and a fresh new face, Ana Bowen.
Lead actor and co-creator Jean Elie, serves as executive producer through his Bassett House Pictures production arm. Writer and co-creator, Mike Gauyo, serves as executive producer through his Black Boy Writes Media production arm. Matt Hoklotubbe, Michael J. McGarry and Francesca Smith serve as producers in association with Whistle Studios.
Elie is known for playing Issa Rae’s brother on Insecure. Additional credits include the BET original holiday drama Throwback Holiday, horror film The Final Wish, digital series Giants, Rider, and the Black Girl In Big Dresses, voiceover work on animated series Alvin and the Chipmunks, and short drama films Thin Walls and Detour.
Gauyo also serves as the Founder/CEO of Black Boy Writes Media (BBWM), a production company founded in 2021, that’s dedicated to elevating marginalized voices in Hollywood and across the entertainment industry. Gauyo also held roles as a Writer’s Assistant on TNT’s Claws, Staff Writer on Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia and Story Editor on HBO’s hit series, Insecure.