Meet Zona Akunwanne | Showrunner, Writer, & Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zona Akunwanne and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zona, why did you pursue a creative career?
When constantly being asked the burning questions “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” my mind swarmed with my unknown potential future. I’ve always had this frustrating burning desire to just be everything, all at once. I could be an a performer, a philosopher, a practitioner. Never did I find it fair that we as humans were given one life and one chance to decide what to do with them? Film was my way of being everything, all at once. I lived vicariously through the characters I crafted, the worlds I created, and the words I drafted. In the stories I wrote, I was able to experience several unlived lives at once. I discovered not just a medium for storytelling, but also an opportunity to “put myself in the shoes” of my characters, experiencing existence from a variety of perspectives. Each story I write is a reflection of my own spirit, hopes, and dreams. I could be everything and more. Since childhood, storytelling has been at the heart of my creative journey. I have been committed to creating narratives that resonate with me and reflect experiences that are often underrepresented. Many of my stories focus on the lives of women of color, particularly Black women, as growing up, I rarely saw myself or people like me represented in the media. I chose to focus the series during a time of self discovery and exploration within one’s young adult years, I was driven to fill that gap, to build spaces where diverse stories can flourish. I drew inspiration from trailblazing shows like Black Women Sketch Comedy and Insecure, series that have redefined representation by allowing Black women to thrive in genres beyond trauma narratives—because our stories are about so much more than pain.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In the latest entry to the world of web series, *Miseducated* sets the stage as a quirky mockumentary comedy, following an all-Black women’s study group as they grapple with their discordant personalities while trying to succeed academically at their predominantly white institution. The show’s distinct format is inspired by works such as The Office, Grownish, and Community. With this series we also drew inspiration from trailblazing shows like Black Women Sketch Comedy and Insecure, series that have redefined representation by allowing Black women to thrive in diverse genres. When deciding to create a web series, one is always burdened with the dying question “What if people don’t like it?” Overtime, I had to get out of that mindset. I remembered, there’s people that think Micheal Jackson is overrated or that Beyonce can’t sing! We as artists and even non-artists, just people, have to know that no matter how great or how terrible you are, you can never please everyone. All that matters is that you took the effort as an artist to even create in the first place. Once I got into that headspace, it was so much easier for me to write from the heart and become free of judgement. Filming with a real group of college students is a gift but challenging nonetheless. The pilot of Miseducated began production in November and didn’t wrap until March. We were all honestly entering a new territory. With this just being a lot of our first television projects and my first film project. Then, adding the element of figuring out college life and production. I advocate for a healthy work and school life balance while my cast jokes about dropping out and doing the show full time. However, it’s amazing to know how committed they are and enjoy the production environment. As academics always come first our hectic schedules some weeks never align. We’re forced to compromise, be resourceful, and most of all remain optimistic about what we’re trying to accomplish here. What truly motivates me is hearing from my cast and crew that Miseducated never feels like a job to them, but instead a hangout session (that involves microphones and a camera crew of course). The friendships that have been built here are worth more than 1,000 views (which we all celebrated together when our pilot hit that count on Youtube!) With Miseducated, we hope to be a source of comfort and comedy to college students and black women everywhere. A beacon of hope and a reminder that they’re never alone in the struggle.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I myself, am not a native Georgian. I hail all the way from New Haven, Connecticut so Atlanta is still very fresh to me. However, one thing I do know Atlanta is the place for is art. Home of Hip Hop, fashion icons, the Fox Theater, the High Museum of Art, and so many iconic film and television sets, Atlanta truly is the heart of Georgia and a pioneer for the industry. If I had a friend visit, we would visit these following places as there’s always a story waiting to be told somewhere in this city. What makes Atlanta is its people. A city built up by visionaries, creatives, and artists that established a culture that was true to them. I’m inspired by it everyday and so grateful to attend a school in the center of it all.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I approached writer Charlie Lucas with the concept of Miseducated he was immediately on board. The idea alone was enough to sell him to become a Co-writer on the series. But he’s not just an immense creative help. His versatile talents aided me in the direction of the series, casting, and being an extra voice on set. Miseducated is nothing without the people behind it. I often tell him that without him this show would’ve just been another one of ideas collecting dust in the Notes App. Beyond Charlie’s contributions, My actors became stylists, location scouts, and sometimes even writers. Everyone around me goes above and beyond to help bring this vision to life. The cast of Miseducated includes Taylor Palmore, Aman Odoffin, Olivia Moyston, Symphony Simpson, and Harmony Simpson. Our amazing life saving editor and cameraman is Amari Akua, owner of Multi-Hyphenate Media. Miseducated thrives because of the dedication of our entire crew and cast. I am filled with so much joy and gratitude for my team.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miseducatedtheseries?igsh=MXZ6dmpwZWt5aXJkbg==

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Miseducatedtheseries

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@miseducatedtheseries?_t=ZT-8v7UovfCYGs&_r=1

Image Credits
Shot by Mehki Turner
Instagram: @studioofkai