Nia Long Joins the Cast of Netflix’ Dear White People

Nia Long is the latest to join the cast of Dear White People, Netflix’s straight-to-series comedy based on the 2014 Sundance pic. A sendup of “post-racial” America, the Lionsgate-produced show revolves around a diverse group of students of color as they navigate a predominantly white Ivy League college where racial tensions are often swept under the rug.
Long will recur as Neika Hobbs, an African-American studies professor at Winchester University with a whip-smart intellect and unflappable confidence whose pulled-together professional life contrasts a more complicated personal one. Repped by CAA, Primary Wave and Meyer & Downs, Long most recently starred on the ABC series Uncle Buck and appeared in the feature Keanu. Other recent TV credits include The Divide and House of Lies. Up next are Lifetime’s telefilm remake of Beaches, and the feature Roxanne, Roxanne.

Justin Simien, who made his feature directing debut on the Dear White People film, will write the series and direct several episodes. Yvette Lee Bowser is an executive producer alongside the movie’s Stephanie Allain and Julia Lebedev. The 10-episode series goes into production this month for a 2017 premiere on the internet TV network.

Dear White People joins Orange is the New Black as Lionsgate’s second original series for Netflix.