When I was a child, one of my favorite pastimes was theater. There was something so fulfilling about being on stage and connecting with the talented individuals breathing life into characters and stories. So naturally, I entered college as a theater major, hopeful of creating more of these moments; I ended up switching later on. However, the love for the craft never left, and my respect for actors only grew. And every now and then, I watch a movie or television show, come across a new actor, and think to myself, ‘Ooh, you can tell they’re for real about this.’ This background brings me to the present and our conversation with NAACP award-winning actress Gail Bean.
I was first introduced to her during the FX series Snowfall, where she played the flawed yet beloved character Wanda. Since that time, she’s been in other culture favorites like Atlanta, Insecure, P-Valley, and more. And now she’s gearing up for a new one: Amazon’s Harlem, which is personally one of my favorite shows to watch and discuss with girlfriends..because whew, the relatable dating stories. Anyway, during this chat, we spoke about her acting journey, what we can expect from her character in Harlem, and her viral friendship with the talented and handsome actor Malcolm Mays.
Gail Bean
Photo by Detavio Samuels
Like many performers, Gail’s road into the entertainment industry wasn’t a clear one. Although she’s acted for years, she originally planned on being a lawyer. “I was going to be the female Johnny Cockran,” she says with a smile. But after finding more of a connection with acting, she made the bold decision to change her plan. The unique journey only makes her appreciate where she is currently even more. By the way, I’m saying ‘where she is’ literally and figuratively since she recently moved to New York, a dream she’s had for years.
“I think I was always supposed to be here. When I first moved to LA, I wanted to be in New York. I trained out of Susan Batson Studio, and we used to go every other month. But when I moved from Georgia, it was out of my budget. Steven Speilberg even flew me to New York once and asked me why I was living there” (slight flex).
She continues, “I officially moved in October, but I was gone for the holidays and traveling for months. I came back in February, and all the blessings started to flow. I booked Harlem, P-Valley returned, and another project I auditioned for circled back. And I know what they say about New York, but I think the people are genuine and kind for the sake of humanity.”
Living in New York is also the perfect backdrop for filming Harlem. She shared a bit of what we can expect from her character, saying, “She’s really different from me and anyone I’ve ever played. I’m soft. She’s a business venture capitalist. And she has a love interest on the show. People are really going to see themselves in my character; she blurs a lot of lines between business and pleasure.”
Gail Bean and Malcolm Mays
Photo by Giles Williams
When she said that, I couldn’t help but jump into her friendship with Malcolm Mays. I mean, she walked into it, right? And have you seen the videos? They look great together - almost like more than friends. So I just blatantly asked, ‘I mean, how do you feel about all of us being so captivated by your relationship with fellow actor Malcolm Mays?” Shocked, she laughs and says, “It’s nice to have someone in the industry. We go to the movies, watch indie films, work on projects, and talk about real life. It’s great having someone you can play tennis with about everything. There’s times when I want to post pictures, but I already know people are gonna say we're in a relationship. At no point have we said we’re together. But he knows I love him down, and he loves me. That’s going to be my best friend until the end of eternity.”
Her openness made me reflect on friendships and relationships. There have been many conversations around this topic: do friendships change when people get into serious relationships? Can having an attractive best friend affect your dating life, and what about intimidation? Can men and women really be friends? But Gail isn’t worried about these convos at all. “Whoever my dating life consists of, they need to know I wouldn't cheat on my mate. I’m a loyal person. All of the friendships in my life are never a threat to the significant other in my life.”
She went on to explain how his kindness and connection to the industry feel like a safe place for her. Also, his masculine perspective provides a different way of looking at things, which helps her in various ways. “Malcolm is very well-rounded, and he’s like a man’s man. He tells me the truth. But also, he talks to me about my career and myself as a woman," she explains. "I remember sitting in his car crying about the industry; at the time, I kept getting callbacks but never booking the roles. I was sick of people “liking” me; I wanted them to book me. He said, ‘Gail you're a talent, and your time is going to come. This time next year you’re going to book a show,’ and I did."
Gail Bean
Photo by Giles Williams
She continues, “As women, we naturally pour into others like that, but you don’t always get that from men. Because they don’t typically get that. So it’s nice to have a man there like that. There’s one other time where I cried about my career, and it was actually to my brother.”
Hearing that background gave the videos from the 55th NAACP Image Awards of him admiringly gazing at her more context. They manifested that moment. And we all know there’s nothing like praying and affirming something, then watching it come to life. Gail won a NAACP Image award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Snowfall. “That moment at the NAACP (Image) Awards was so euphoric, unbelievable, Godly, and rich. I really felt like I could die tomorrow, and I’d be okay. I didn’t know what else to say but thank you, God..”
She continues, “John (Singleton) has always been in my corner, and I feel like he had a hand in it. I was truly grateful that people watched it and voted. It was for all of Snowfall - from cast, writers, people who put together lights and everything - I felt like all of us won. I was grateful it was my first award from such a powerful show and network.”
Gail came from the theater. She always enjoyed acting but didn’t really take it as seriously until somewhat recently. In fact, she compared it to dating, “You know how you’re just hanging out and one day then something happens and it’s like okay, I need to know where this is going? That’s how acting was. One day, I just decided to take it seriously.” I think it’s safe to say, they go together - real bad.
But seriously, I think her journey is a reminder that when you trust yourself and your path, God will bless you. Oh, and she did close the interview with a little nugget. She and Malcolm Mays plan on creating a romcom together; that way, we can all get in our feels, even if they’re really just friends.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Nailah Howze
RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Apparently, there was a Thanksgiving episode that featured all of the friends having dinner together. And y’all, there was simply no way that I was going to mention the latter without shouting out the original (amen?).
Okay, so with that out of the way — Friendsgiving. Something that I appreciate about twists to holidays like this is that it’s a reminder that there is no one way to celebrate special occasions. And so, if, for whatever the reason, you will not or cannot be with family during the holiday season, there are certainly other alternatives at your disposal.
That being said, if the thought of spending time with friends this Thanksgiving is something that you’d like to do, yet you’re not sure how to host it in a way that will make Friendsgiving a fan favorite for your entire circle — I’ve got 10 suggestions that can make the planning process easy as pumpkin (or sweet potato) pie.
1. Position Chrysanthemums or Orchids for Your Table Décor
Unsplash
Let’s start with décor first. Listen, aside from cleaning up your place, you don’t have to be over the top. If you put together a really nice centerpiece or put a flower at each table setting, honestly, you’re all good. And if you’re someone who is big on details and symbolism, my recommendation would be to go with some chrysanthemums and/or orchids.
When it comes to chrysanthemums, not only are they a peak fall flower, they represent things like friendship and happiness. And orchids? They tend to bloom during the fall and spring seasons and, not only are they about luxury, certain orchid colors also symbolize friendship (for the record, yellow roses symbolize friendship too). Perfect.
2. Incorporate Scents That Cultivate Gratitude
Speaking of cultivating a warm and inviting space, you can never go wrong with scented soy candles — or at least having an essential oil diffuser in a few spots. Some scents that actually help to bring in the spirit of gratitude include vanilla, jasmine, ginger, cedarwood and frankincense.
3. Use Upscale Paper Products to Dine With
Unsplash
Let’s be real — a lot more of us would probably host events in our home if it wasn’t for the mess that is left behind in our kitchen once the festivities are over. Wanna avoid that? Use paper plates. No, I don’t mean the cheap Styrofoam ones. SMDH. These days, there are paper (and plastic) plate brands that will low-key blow your mind when it comes to how bougie they look. Some that are worth considering are located here, here and here.
4. Handwrite Thank-You Notes (Use Them As Place Settings)
If you’re like Tiffany (from the HBO series Insecure — what a time) was at that memorable dinner party when all hell broke loose between Lawrence and Issa and you’re pretty anal — I mean, particular — LOL — about place settings, it’s a nice touch to pick up some blank thank-you cards that you can write a personalized “I’m thankful for you because…” message in. Place each one where you’d like each friend to sit. They won’t see it coming and it’s a really nice touch.
5. Have Everyone Bring Their Favorite Homemade Dish
Unsplash
Okay, and what if what has you on the fence about hosting is you don’t feel like doing a ton of cooking? Chile, this is where the concept of having a potluck comes in. Get everyone to bring the dish that they claim they cook the best and make sure to let them know how many individuals you plan on coming (so that they will make enough). You can even make a game out of it by having everyone anonymously vote for the first, second and third best dishes out of the bunch. Take it up a notch by having a prize for each winner.
6. Take a Warm Drink and Dessert Poll Beforehand
You know what isn’t discussed enough about dinner parties? Folks bringing desserts that other people don’t even like. SMDH. You can avoid this from becoming an issue at your Friendsgiving by sending an email (most people prefer that to group chats; let’s be real — and make sure to BCC everyone as well) asking everyone to share what their top three favorite desserts and warm drinks are. Then pick the top 2-3 out of the bunch. That way, you won’t have a ton of (for instance) coffee cake or apple cider lying around that no one even wanted in the first place.
7. Create a Signature Friendsgiving Mocktail and Cocktail
Unsplash
Speaking of drinks, another way to make your Friendsgiving memorable is to come up with a signature mocktail (for those who don’t consume alcohol) and cocktail. For the mocktail, you can also poll your friends about their favorite mocktail or fruits and come up with a mixture of your own. For the cocktail — although National Friendship Day is actually in August, I did peep that there are certain drinks that have been created in its honor. Some of them are located here for you to do a bit of tweaking on (if you’d like).
8. Ask Everyone to Share Their “Favorite Friend Quality” of Another
You know how it’s customary for everyone to go around and share what they are truly thankful for before having dinner? Well, to continue along with the Friendsgiving theme, have each person share what their favorite friend quality is about the person to their right. If folks are just meeting each other for the first time, instead they can share what they value the most in friendship overall, along with a story of how it was displayed to them personally over the past 12 months.
9. Send Each of Your Guests Home with a Fresh Gratitude Journal
Unsplash
Wanna send folks home with a nice parting gift? It would be so on-trend to give each of them a gratitude journal. Listen, we are in some crazy times right through here (at least in the States) and so, encouraging your friends to set some time aside, regularly, to think about and then outwardly express what they are grateful for? That helps to keep stress down, keep things in perspective and it reminds us all to maintain a positive mindset as much as possible.
10. Watch a Nostalgic Movie
While everyone is enjoying dessert and drinks, how about watching a movie that brings back fond memories? A list of some of the most popular movies to come out previous Thanksgiving weekends is located here and a list of some favorite Black holiday-themed films can be found here. It’s a way to wind down and share some laughs before everyone heads home.
___
Friendsgiving. What a wonderful way to celebrate your friends while also observing Thanksgiving in a way that is totally on your terms. And now that you know how to put it together, what are you waiting for? Hit your friends up and let them know that, whether it’s on actual Thanksgiving Day or a few days before or after, you’ve got a special dinner in mind.
One that has a good time with amazing friends written ALL over it.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by PeopleImages/Shutterstock