By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Meet the Sexy Bisexual Character on Lena Waithe's Boomerang Reboot
"This is for people who are maybe feeling insecure about their sexuality."
Emmy winners Lena Waithe and Halle Berry are rebooting the 1992 hit Boomerang for a brand new generation!
Berry, who starred in the original film alongside Eddie Murphy and Robin Givens, is executive producing the updated series focusing on the original character's children who are trying to step out of their parents' shadows and make a legacy of their own.
Leland B. Martin plays Ari Thomas, an openly bisexual filmmaker on the series, searching for love and his big break and...I think I'm already in love....
Since there aren't many bisexual characters on television, especially black men, Martin's character is quietly groundbreaking.
"Lena [Waithe] would tell me all the time, 'This is bigger than you. This is bigger than me. This is for people who are maybe feeling insecure about their sexuality to see someone on screen who acts like them, feels like them, and are like them,'" Martin told NewNowNext.
Waithe has publicly said that Ari Thomas will be dating both men and women on the show and isn't at all worried about the character's reception on BET.
"There is queerness and fluidity in the black community as there is everywhere else," Waithe pointed out, writer Trish Bendix reports. "I'm not going to shy away from that. I don't believe in the PSA thing."
"I make stuff for us. When I write a show, I do it for the culture," she continued. "Boomerang is black as hell and honest as hell and we don't need to water it down to make them more comfortable."
Martin's character Ari has a very accepting group of friends that love and support him.
"That’s what I love about the dynamic, too. You are who you are. You love who you love. It’s not a thing," he concluded to NewNowNext. "They are friends. We should be able to just love each other. Lena talked about this with us a couple of times. We are representing so many facets of our culture as black millennials including dealing with navigating our careers and life. The show touches and sheds light on relevant social issues, but you also find a group of friends working through romance, career, family, and life."
Boomerang premieres tonight on BET. Watch the teaser trailer below.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Megan Thee Stallion sued for harassment, ex employee allegedly forced to watch her have sex