Beloved ’80s sitcom Punky Brewster is coming back on February 25 on Peacock and GLAAD is exclusively revealing that Punky’s BFF, Cherie, has come out in the new season. Both Soleil Moon Frye (Punky) and Cherie Johnson (Cherie) are reprising their original roles over 30 years later, and in this new season, we meet Cherie’s girlfriend played by queer actress Jasika Nicole, known for her roles on The Good Doctor, Fringe, and Scandal.
Anthony Ramos, GLAAD’s Head of Talent, sat down for an exclusive interview with Jasika Nicole, who said she could not be more thrilled to finally be portraying a queer character on screen for the first time in her career. She also discusses what it means for her as a queer woman of color to be showcasing love between two Black women in the upcoming revival.
“This is the first queer role I have played on network television…so this this a really big deal for me! I do think there is something really specifically special and important about seeing Black love depicted on television.”
Nicole, who says she was a fan of the original series, told Ramos that she is really pleased at how the new season is spotlighting LGBTQ stories in the family genre.
“Queerness incorporates families, and kids and all kinds of people and that is something that I want to continue to see represented in television.”
She also says that it would have been a game changer for her to have seen an inclusive show like this on television when she was growing up.
“I truly do not have words for how powerful it is to see Black queer love, queer love, trans people and non-binary people. It is so essential to see people who are different than you are. It creates empathy, it creates compassion, and it expands your ability to love.”
Punky Brewster will premiere on Thursday, February 25 on Peacock.