Movers and Shakers – Why Freeform’s “The Come Up” Should be Inspiring to Dreamers Everywhere

“We spoke to almost 500 people, we did not go into it knowing we wanted anything in particular,” revealed Jessica Chermayeff, executive producer and episode director of The Come Up, an unscripted series premiering September 13th on Freeform. During a TCA press conference, the creative team revealed the six up-and-coming New York City artists who opened up their lives to the cameras for the show. “We knew we were looking for people who were striving for something. That could have been anything, something that was a big dream that only New York City could offer  was our main criteria.”

JESSICA CHERMAYEFF (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, DIRECTOR), ANA VESELIC (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, DIRECTOR), ANNE ALEXANDER (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER), MEGAN SANCHEZ-WARNER (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, SHOWRUNNER), EBON TROWER, TAOFEEK ABIJAKO, SOPHIA WILSON, BEN HARD, CLAUDE SHWARTZ, FERNANDO CASABLANCAS (Freeform)

“There's something super special that happened post-pandemic in downtown New York with the amount of young people moving back into the city,” shared Fernando Casablancas, a Brazilian-born non-binary model who is also venturing into acting and DJing. “It's such a privilege for us to be able to actually capture this so beautifully because you're going to look back at this time ten years from now or twenty years from now and be so inspired by what the kids are doing with the global situation that's going on and what we're bringing with the world that's changing so fast. New York, specifically now, is beyond special. Like me.”

“I remember meeting Fernando a few years back, and fast-forward he's walking in the big shows,” reminisced Taofeek Abijako, a Nigerian-born fashion designer who recently dressed Danai Gurira and Evan Mock for their Met Gala appearances. “I was self-taught. I did not go to school to learn anything, creative-wise. And I burst my way through the creative scene that I'm currently involved in. I walked into every room not getting taken seriously. And then, eventually, I was able to do what I do best, which is my work, and now I get taken seriously. What the show captures is the entire process of it. Not just for me but for everyone.”  

“I came from San Antonio, Texas, and that's a fairly big city with a smaller-town feel,” explained Ben Hard, an aspiring actor and stand-up comedian who also dabbles in photography and videography. “It was a big jump to come here and I was so scared of failing and not doing well… There's all these anxieties and fears that go on, but then you meet so many other people that are doing the same thing, like the people in this cast, and then you feel like you guys are all coming up together and it makes it worth the fight. You want to keep fighting and keep going for it.”

“Through this journey, I learned the power that my art can have in shaping other people and inspiring people,” shared Sophia Wilson, an analog photographer who has shot ad campaigns for Google, Nike, and Pepsi, and created the first NFT for Instagram. “Even though my work has been seen on a large scale, it hasn't been seen on a scale as large as a television show. It makes you think as you're going through your day, if these cameras are following you around as you're doing stuff, you have to be a lot more intentional about what you're doing to make sure that you're representing your community the best that you possibly can, whether that be through your daily practices or your artwork. The people that you pass representation is everything.”

“What I learned during this entire process was just how much my friends really deserve to be seen and to be heard,” added Ebon Trower, a Brooklyn-based party host, trans activist, and model. “My specific storyline had a lot to do with the people I care about and the people who are around me 24/7. I notice that with having the cameras and just doing the show, it wasn't really just about me. It was about my community and the people around me. I know once everyone sees it, it's going to give so much confidence to a lot of my friends who definitely deserve it… As excited as I am, really my entire family and all of Brooklyn and my friends are excited too.”

“They all brought so much to the series,” explained showrunner and executive producer Megan Sanchez-Warner. “On top of that, it's gorgeous. It's cinematic. It's stunning. Everybody who sees it says, ‘Oh, my God.’ That's the one thing that really stands out. It is also very rich in their lives and feels very authentic. It's an ensemble doc series, but it also has some shades of reality, but it really is rooted deeply in their lives. And one thing that we're all so proud of is that we manipulate their lives. We brought out the truest essence of who they are and presented it to the world.”

Meet the true essence of Taofeek, Fernando, Ben, Ebon, Sophia, and Claude on September 13th when Freeform premieres the first four episodes back to back. From there, two episodes will air each week on Tuesdays. All episodes will be available to stream on Hulu the day after they air.

Freeform’s “The Come Up” Broadcast Schedule: