University of Georgia student Kyanna Simone Simpson, a Decatur native, plays a clever tech geek and math nerd in Netflix's new horror series Chambers.
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University of Georgia student Kyanna Simone Simpson, a Decatur native, plays a clever tech geek and math nerd in Netflix's new horror series Chambers.

Kyanna Simone Simpson shows no signs of stopping. The Decatur native and University of Georgia student's first Netflix series, Chambers, was just released. Her new film Ma, with Octavia Spencer, hits theaters May 31. And Oprah Winfrey told Vanity Fair she'd pick Simpson to portray her in a biopic.

Simpson's previous credits include The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, in which she acted alongside Winfrey as the younger version of Winfrey's character, Deborah Lacks. She's also appeared as Keisha in the CW's Black Lightning.

On Second Thought host Virginia Prescott speaks with Kyanna Simone Simpson.

Simpson told On Second Thought projects like Black Lightning and Chambers – both shows in which she plays a smart and determined teenage girl – represent an entertainment industry moving in the right direction when it comes to representation. 

"I think it's becoming less and less difficult now because we have Ava Duvernays, Barry Jenkins, Spike Lees," Simpson told On Second Thought. "They're creating this space where little black and brown girls can get these roles and be portrayed in a better light than we have been before."

 

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