Former Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, who left the production in July, has landed a recurring role on Season 3 of Black-ish as Rainbow’s hipster brother.
After filling the shoes of Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette in Hamilton, Diggs will switch it up to play Johan, Bow’s annoying brother who Black-ish creator/showrunner Kenya Barris describes as a “sort of a hipster, entitled kid.”
Variety reports:
Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) and Johan, whose mother is a very laid-back, hippie-ish soul, had very different childhoods than Dre, and that’s partly why Johan will be a frequent thorn in Dre’s side. Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) has always feared that his kids will grow up to be overly pampered, and it sounds like Johan is the personification of those fears.”
My soulmate Diane, of course, also finds Johan to be insufferable. “He’s constantly on a search for the best conditioner for his hair,” says Barris. “He’s probably gone to Penn or Wharton and could have gotten a great-paying job, but he’s trying to find himself. That attitude more than anything makes Dre want to strangle him.”
Diggs was cast in the role after Barris saw his performance in Hamilton and found out he was a huge fan of Black-ish. “He was the guy where the audience kind of [perked] up and said, ‘Oh my God, this guy!’” says Barris. “I felt like he would be such a welcome addition to the family.”