Chantal Thuy Finally Promoted To Series Regular On ‘Black Lightning’
by Erik Amaya
Grace Choi fans rejoice! She will finally have a home in Freeland!
Deadline reports Chantal Thuy has been promoted to a series regular for the fourth season of Black Lightning. The actor has played Grace Choi — the shape-shifting paramour of Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams) — off and on over the last three seasons.
Of course, we’ve noticed a strange trend with Choi over those years. Anytime she and Anissa get close to a commitment, Choi disappears for a bunch of episodes. Her reintroduction in Season 2 even lampshaded the fact she just vanished halfway through Season 1. And, to be fair, the show made some effort to make her constant disappearances meaningful, but they also reflected a perceptible sheepishness around depicting a committed LGTBQ+ couple. Their wedding was even interrupted by the war in Freeland!
We always suspected part of this stumbling was due to Thuy’s availability. But now that she will be a regular — and headquartered in Atlanta for the duration of the season — the show can finally tell some stories about the couple besides Anissa searching for her girlfriend.
In a statement, showrunner Salim Akil said, “I am sure our Black Lightning fans knew, especially those who follow the Grace and Anissa relationship storyline, that having Chantal join as a series regular was only a matter of time. I am elated to finally welcome her officially to the team.”
“She’s less volatile, and less of an outsider,” Thuy told Deadline of the character going into the new year. “I’m hoping this will mean a new suit and getting to join in on more of the family fights to protect Freeland! I also feel her tendency to avoid intimacy will slowly be mended through her relationship with Anissa.” We hope so, too.
Black Lighting returns February 8th on The CW.
