Girlfriends cast: Where are they now?

It’s been 22 years since Girlfriends first debuted on UPN, and several of its cast members are still appearing on weekly television and movie screens.

The series centers around a group of best friends trying to navigate their way around friendships, careers, and love lives. The show is iconic because it was a sitcom created by a Black woman with four Black female leads. The show ran for eight seasons and was one of the shows that was able to survive when UPN became The CW.

One of the common themes of each season was the importance of friendship and how to be a better friend by being honest, respecting each other’s boundaries, and supporting your friends in tough times and good times. The cast of Girlfriends was able to have a mini-reunion on the television show Black-ish in 2019 in an episode titled “Feminisn’t.”

Girlfriends cast

Most of the cast is busy with acting jobs, and several are active on social media.
But in case you haven’t stayed up-to-date on their careers, we shared a list of where the Girlfriends cast is now.

Tracee Ellis Ross as Joan Clayton

Six years after Girlfriends was canceled, Tracee Ellis Ross took the lead on another significant television series, the ABC sitcom Black-ish. The character Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson has become one of the greatest television moms of the last decade, and the character has earned Tracee Ellis Ross a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations, as well as the opportunity to direct and produce many different projects.

Tracee Ellis Ross is credited as co-creator of the spin-off Mixed-ish. Most recently, she starred as an R&B singer in the musical drama The High Note.

Golden Brooks as Maya Wilkes

Golden Brooks has been working in movies and television since Girlfriends ended in 2008. She has recurring roles on Hart of Dixie in 2012 and 2013 and was on the show Blunt Talk in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, Brooks costarred in the thriller miniseries I Am the Night as the adoptive mother of Fauna, the mysterious girl at the center of the plot. Golden Brooks also starred in the films Kiss Me for Christmas in 2020 and Coins Forever in 2021.

Jill Marie Jones as Toni Childs-Garrett

Following the years after Girlfriends ended, Jill Marie Jones landed a pair of recurring roles on television, first as Cynthia Irving on Sleepy Hollow, then as Amanda Fisher on Ash vs. Evil Dead. In 2018, she appeared in the drama Monogamy as a star and an executive producer and did the film Boo! And in 2021, she appeared in the movie Charming the Hearts of Men.

Persia White as Lynn Searcy

Persia White as Lynn, was one of the most beloved characters on Girlfriends because of how carefree her character was. White also starred in the television show The Vampire Diaries, where she played Abby Bennett, the mother of powerful witch Bonnie. Persia White was also able to meet her husband, costar Joseph Morgan, during the show’s filming. Persia White recently starred in two Christmas movies in 2017, Miss Me This Christmas and You Can’t Fight Christmas.

Keesha Sharp as Monica Charles Brooks

Keesha Sharp hasn’t slowed down her acting career over the last decade because she has appeared in many films and television series. Sharp spent three seasons on the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?, then appeared on the show American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson. That same year, she began work as a series regular on the crime drama Lethal Weapon, which ran for three seasons through 2019. Most recently, she’s been seen in recurring roles on major dramas like The Good Fight and Empire and recently was announced for Power Book 2 Ghost season 3 on the Starz network.

Reggie Hayes as William Dent

Reggie Hayes has had a quieter career than his fellow costars, mostly talking on smaller guest roles throughout the year. From 2013 to 2014, he did have a recurring role on Hart of Dixie. In early 2022, Reggie Hayes appeared on the show Abbott Elementary as Superintendent Collins.

Khalil Kain as Darnell Wilkes

Khalil Kain took over the role of Darnell from Flex Alexander beginning in season 2 and has mostly stuck to guest appearances and low-key movie work since the end of Girlfriends. He is mainly known for his role as Raheem Porter in the classic film Juice, but over the years, he’s appeared in Girlfriends, Blue Bloods, Person of Interest, Elementary, and the show FBI in 2021.

Girlfriends season 1-8 are available to stream on Netflix.