Antonia Gentry

About Antonia Gentry

Antonia Bonea Gentry is an American actress born on September 25, 1997, in Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up in a biracial household with an American father and a Jamaican mother, she developed a passion for acting at five years old. Her early artistic exposure came from performing in home plays written by her poet mother. She refined her talents at the John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta, Georgia, where she actively participated in regional and national theater competitions. Gentry later returned to Atlanta to attend Emory University, where she balanced her academic studies with her role as a leader in the school's Rathskeller Comedy Improv troupe and professional regional theater bookings before graduating with a drama degree in 2019. 

Her film and television biography kicked off during her university years. She made her professional acting debut in the educational video short "PSA Don't Text and Drive Pay Attention" in 2014, followed by minor roles in the 2015 projects "Lone Wolf Mason" and "Driver's Ed: Tales from the Street". Her first major streaming milestone came with her portrayal of Jasmine in the Netflix original romantic comedy feature film "Candy Jar" in 2018. She then made a guest appearance as Wendy in an episode of the superhero streaming series "Raising Dion" in 2019. Gentry achieved international stardom and critical acclaim when she secured the central leading role of Virginia "Ginny" Miller in the hit Netflix comedy-drama series "Ginny & Georgia", which premiered in 2021. Expanding her presence in film, she starred as Jess in the coming-of-age comedy "Prom Dates" in 2024 and played Summer in the science-fiction slasher movie "Time Cut" in 2024. 

Personal information regarding her family and personal life centers on her close-knit ties to her parents, Sandra and Tony Gentry, and her upbringing as an only child. She is a dedicated pet owner to a cat named Buttersworth, whom she adopted during her senior year of college. In her personal relationships, Gentry was in a long-term relationship with musician Ezra Pounds from 2011 until their separation in 2013, and she has never been married. 

Throughout her rapid rise to fame, Gentry has remained grounded and open about navigating identity and representation. A notable quote regarding her connection to her breakout character highlights her perspective on the show's complex storytelling: "When I was growing up, I never saw a character like Ginny on television, so playing her feels like a huge responsibility and a gift." Reflecting on her biracial identity and experiences with covert discrimination, she has also shared, "Growing up my mom was someone who I could confide in if I ever felt a certain way about my identity, because she understood, her being a Black woman."