Perkins frames 'I Swear We're Friends' as a nostalgic love letter to television that fills a critical void for Black queer male friendships without needing to explain their existence to outside audiences.
While Perkins is riding high on Hollywood success, this move signals a desire for total creative control and independence, bypassing traditional gatekeepers to release content directly to fans on YouTube.
The six-episode series debuts Oct. 14 on YouTube. Perkins directed all episodes, and the cast includes Devere Rogers and Brian Jordan Jr. The show parodies classics like 'Succession' and 'Girlfriends.'
Perkins isn't just acting in Hollywood; he's building his own empire by taking the reins on a self-produced digital series while juggling major studio commitments.
Dewayne Perkins is done waiting for permission slips. The star of *The Blackening* and *The Studio* is launching a new digital series titled *I Swear We’re Friends*, exclusively on YouTube this fall. This isn’t a pilot script sitting in a drawer at some network executive’s desk; it’s a fully realized six-episode “skitcom” that Perkins is independently releasing.
In a move that screams creative autonomy, he’s bypassing the traditional studio machinery to deliver a “love letter to television” directly to the audience. The series is described as a uniquely absurd comedic experience that mixes nostalgia with modern novelty, targeting the exact void that major studios often ignore. The premise is sharp and specific.
Each of the six episodes is inspired by a beloved show from the past, including *Girlfriends*, *Succession*, *24*, *My Wife & Kids*, *Charmed*, and *Touched By An Angel*. But this isn’t just parody for the sake of it. A release statement poses a pointed question: “Twenty years after ‘Noah’s Arc,’ why are Black gay male friendships still so rarely at the center of comedy?” Perkins aims to fill that gap by giving Black queer men the space to be “funny, messy, complicated friends” without the burden of explaining their queerness to an outside audience.
It’s a bold stance that prioritizes authentic representation over palatable mainstreaming. The casting calls are where the tea gets hot. Perkins leads a main cast featuring Devere Rogers (*Abbott Elementary*), Brian Jordan Jr. (*Sistas*), Philemon Chambers (*Beauty in Black*), and Cameron J.
Ross (*The Summer I Turned Pretty*). The guest list is equally stacked with industry heavyweights and fan favorites, including Daryl Stephens (*Noah’s Arc*), Tracie Thoms (*Rent*), and Grammy winner Durand Bernarr, who performs the theme song. Perkins didn’t just act in this; he directed all six episodes alongside director of photography Sade Ndya.
He also co-wrote the series with James Rogers III and Mark Wright, proving he’s wearing every hat in the production house. This digital debut comes amid a whirlwind of high-profile commitments for Perkins. He is set to return for the ensemble cast of Apple TV’s Emmy-winning *The Studio* and is currently working on *The Blackening 2* for Lionsgate, following the original’s massive success which grossed over $18 million on a $5 million budget.
He’s also joined the cast of Kid Cudi’s horror-thriller *Wrong Number* and is developing a Hulu comedy series executive produced by Stephen Curry. Despite this Hollywood saturation, Perkins is carving out a separate lane for his own voice, bringing his one-man show *How Being Black & Gay Made Me Better Than You!* to the New York Comedy Festival on Nov. 9. It’s a power move that says: I’ll do it for you, but I’ll also do it for me.
