Who is Antonia Gentry? Her Age, Bio & Boyfriend

Antonia Gentry rose to stardom almost overnight with her breakout role as Ginny in Netflix’s hit series Ginny & Georgia. The show quickly became a fan favorite, tackling complex topics such as mental health, family trauma, and racial identity, particularly through its biracial lead character, played by Gentry herself.

Antonia is proudly biracial and often uses her platform to reflect on and embrace her identity. During the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, she shared powerful insights about her experience growing up as a biracial child in America, making fans even more curious about the woman behind the role, especially her family background.

Antonia Gentry Bio

Antonia Bonea Gentry, born on September 25, 1997, in Atlanta, Georgia, is an American actress best known for her breakout role as Ginny Miller in the popular Netflix series Ginny & Georgia. From a young age, Antonia knew she wanted to be an actress. She began performing in local theater productions, many of which were written by her mother, Sandra Gentry, a Jamaican-born playwright. Her father, Tony Gentry, is a white American, making Antonia biracial—a part of her identity that she proudly embraces and frequently discusses in public, especially during pivotal moments like the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Antonia attended the prestigious John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta, Georgia, before enrolling at Emory University. While studying drama there, she was actively involved in the campus comedy improv group, Rathskellar, and managed to balance part-time work with auditions. She graduated in 2019, shortly before landing her career-defining role in Ginny & Georgia.

Her acting journey began with smaller projects such as public service announcements and short films, including Lone Wolf Mason and Driver’s Ed in 2015. She later appeared in Netflix’s Candy Jar in 2018 and the series Raising Dion in 2019. Her role as Ginny in Ginny & Georgia propelled her to fame, with audiences resonating deeply with her portrayal of a biracial teenager navigating identity, mental health, and family struggles.

Antonia’s performance has been praised not just for its emotional depth but also for its cultural impact. She has spoken candidly about her personal experiences with racism and how her biracial background influences both her life and her portrayal of Ginny. Interestingly, while she and her character are both biracial, their family dynamics are reversed—Antonia has a Black mother and a white father, while Ginny has a white mother and a Black father. This nuanced difference added depth to her performance and allowed her to bring authenticity to the role.

Beyond Ginny & Georgia, Antonia has starred in other projects such as Prom Dates (2024), Netflix’s Time Cut, and the upcoming film The Upside of Falling Down. She continues to use her platform to advocate for diversity and representation in media and is considered one of the rising stars of her generation. Known for her natural hair advocacy, sustainable fashion choices, and grounded personality, Antonia Gentry is much more than just a TV star—she’s a voice for change and a role model for biracial youth worldwide.

Antonia Gentry Boyfriend

Antonia Gentry appears to be single—the actress keeps her love life private, though some details have surfaced publicly.

She was previously in a long-term relationship with musician Ezra Pounds, whom she began dating around 2011 during high school. They were together for many years, but their breakup seems to have occurred sometime late in 2023. Evidence for the split includes the removal of each other’s photos and unfollowing on social media.

In her more recent posts, Antonia has shared images with a man named Michael Debi, a musician and Emory University graduate. The two have attended events together—including Paris Fashion Week in February 2023 and a Brooklyn Museum gala in April 2023—with Debi appearing in her Instagram Valentine’s Day carousel in 2024. While neither she nor Debi has explicitly confirmed a romantic relationship, their frequent, affectionate public appearances suggest they may be dating

A Closer Look at Antonia Gentry’s Parents and Heritage

Antonia Gentry was born to Tony Gentry, a white American father, and Sandra Gentry, a Black Jamaican-born mother. Her mother, a playwright active in their local community theater, was instrumental in shaping Antonia’s early interest in acting. In fact, some of Antonia’s first performances were in plays written by her mom.

Sandra was also a strong emotional support for Antonia, especially as she struggled to make sense of her identity as a biracial young woman. “She was someone I could confide in when I felt a certain way about being Black,” Antonia shared.

As public conversations about race intensified during the BLM movement, Antonia didn’t shy away from sharing her personal encounters with racism. “I have experienced racism all my life,” she revealed, recounting painful memories like classmates mocking her father for marrying a “monkey” or calling her a “mixed-mongrel mutt.”

She also reflected on how her biracial background gave her a unique experience with discrimination—acknowledging that having a white father afforded her certain privileges, even as she continued to face racism.

Despite these challenges, Antonia has never backed down from embracing her identity. Today, she stands as a voice and role model for biracial individuals, proudly representing a new generation of young women navigating race, identity, and belonging.

Antonia Gentry’s Identity On and Off Screen

Much like Antonia herself, Ginny—the character she portrays in Ginny & Georgia—is also biracial. After landing the role, Antonia expressed how meaningful it was to finally see someone like herself in a lead role. “Growing up, I never saw a biracial lead character,” she said in an interview with W Magazine. “I didn’t even realize how much I needed that representation until later.”

Interestingly, while both Antonia and Ginny are biracial, their family dynamics differ. In real life, Antonia’s mother is Black and her father is white. On the show, Ginny’s mother is white and her father is Black. This small yet significant difference helped shape their respective personalities.

“My mom understood what it meant to be a Black woman,” Antonia shared with Teen Vogue. “Ginny doesn’t really have that connection with her mom,” she said, highlighting a key contrast between her personal life and the character she plays.

She also disclosed that some of the racist remarks made toward Ginny in the show were drawn directly from her own real-life experiences, proving just how closely art can reflect life.

Fun Facts

• Started acting at age 5 in plays written by her mother.
• Graduated from Emory University with a degree in drama.
• Was part of Emory’s comedy improv group, Rathskellar.
• Adopted a cat named Buttersworth in college.
• Ginny & Georgia was her first lead role.
• She is biracial — her mother is Jamaican and her father is white American.
• Some racist lines in Ginny & Georgia were taken from her real life.
• Loves improv and credits it for her acting confidence.
• Interested in sustainable fashion and natural hair advocacy.
• Avid reader and fan of literature and poetry.
• Advocates for mental health awareness, especially among youth.