CNN
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The Gossip Girl reboot is coming to an end after two seasons, but one of the stars of the HBO Max series is just getting started.
Grace Dua, 25, made her television debut in ‘Gossip Girl’ playing rebellious and carefree teenager Shan Burns. Like other teenage characters on the show, Shan makes some bad choices, such as leaving her friends behind at a rave. ) was seen as a refreshing step towards a more inclusive representation.
“It’s something about me and Josh [Safran, “Gossip Girl’s” showrunner] “Speak up — dark-skinned black girls have to be allowed to be less than perfect,” Dua told CNN in a recent interview. We need to learn how to give the same grace.”
Dua prepares to say goodbye to the experience of going from being a production assistant on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to being a regular on the HBO series in the series finale of “Gossip Girl,” which airs Thursday. (Both CNN and HBO are part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)
Dua knew he wanted to be an actor since eighth grade when he played the lead role in a middle school musical. This realization was a signal for her future dilemma she would face during her senior year of high school.
Duah’s parents wanted their daughter to become an engineer or a doctor, and it took Bernie DeLeo, a high school drama teacher, to convince Duah to pursue his professional acting dreams.
“They came in a day after school and it was like a couple of hours. I used a PowerPoint to explain the benefits of getting a bachelor’s degree compared to a BFA,” DeLeo recalled to CNN. “They trusted her, they trusted me, and the rest is history. God bless them for what they did.” [medical] Go to school now and take her talent away from us. ”
Duah pursued a BFA and graduated from Pace University in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. She didn’t yet have the showcase of her acting that she wanted, so she accepted a position as production assistant on Colbert’s Late Night series.
While working on the show, Dua got an agent and began auditioning for roles during her off time.
“Part of the reason I did that was because I didn’t want anyone to get the impression that I was too good at what I was doing. [there],” she said.
After just six months on “The Late Show,” Dua booked “Gossip Girl.”
Duah feels the series will end prematurely, but she promises it will come true.
“I’m excited because the finale really stays true to the original Chaos that made me love ‘Gossip Girl’ when I was younger, and it has a long-awaited group team,” said Dua.
As she considers her next professional step, Dua is happy to have a seat at the Hollywood table.
“I’m so grateful that I got the plate I really wanted for seven years,” Duah said. “I think my future is bright.”
