Jasmine Cephas Jones on ‘Blindspotting’ season 2: ‘Creatively it feels like there is no limit to what we can do’

“Blindspotting” is back! The acclaimed series based on the popular film of the same name has returned for a second season after two years, and theGrio caught up with lead actress Jasmine Cephas Jones ahead of the premiere earlier this month.

Jasmine Cephas Jones attends “Blindspotting” Season 2 Premiere at the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals on March 17, 2023, at The Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for SXSW)

First premiering in 2021, “Blindspotting” continues the story kicked off in the film of the same name starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, which told the story of Collin (Diggs) as he reevaluates his life and friendships while on probation. The spin-off series created by Diggs and Casal, however, centers around Ashley (Jones), Miles’ (Casal) longtime girlfriend who, along with their son, move in with Miles’ mother and sister after Miles’ incarceration.

The first season was a critical success, earning a coveted 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, the show is back for a second season, reuniting viewers with Ashley’s story. “The first was such a challenge,” Jones explained when recalling shooting the first season during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the hurdles, “Everybody gave it their all and made these believable relationships,” she continued.

“Season 2 is great because we’ve established these characters already … we got the freedom to play more. We were still testing all the time, we still had to wear these masks but I think there was a little bit more of an energy of, ‘O.K. it’s not as intense as the first time.”

The show lives in a certain magical realism thematically, with many episodes completely switching genres and tone. The freedom found within the creative team and cast, Jones explained, is essential.

“I’m really close with Rafael and [Daveed] Diggs, but I’m also huge fans of them and how their brains work,” she said. “They’re always trying to think of things outside of the box … one of my favorite parts of this whole show is how we tell this theatrical, heightened story, with all of these important issues as undertones.”

“It really seems absurd when you talk about it, but in the end you put it all together and it’s stunning to me how we tell this story,” she concluded. “I’m really, really lucky to be able to kind of lead this project and be a part of something because creatively it feels like there is no limit to what we can do.”

“Blindspotting” airs every Friday on Starz.

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