Run The World Character Guide

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A character guide for STARZ’s “Run The World.” Included is information about characters and noteworthy information about the series they’re in.

Please Note: This content contains pertinent spoilers, descriptions are updated as new information is presented, images changed as better ones are captured, and this is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, guest star, or reoccurring role.

General Information

Network(s)	Starz
Created or Developed By	Leigh Davenport
First Aired	5/16/2021

Groups & Organizations

Hot Tea Digest (1.1): Where Ella works and the company Barb is Editor in Chief
Trinamic Trio of Trust (1.4): The name that represents Sondi, Renee and Whitney’s friend group in the 6th grade

Notable Locations & Items

Yatenga (1.4): One of the eateries the ladies frequent.

Other Noteworthy Information

Length of Season 1 (1.8): It is noted Whitney had her affair 6 weeks ago, so the entire season is 2 to 3 months.

Season 1

Air Dates	5/21/2021 – 7/11/2021
Episode Count	8

Plot

We’re introduced to four friends, Renee, Whitney, Sondi, and Ella, who deal with various issues. For Renee, her marriage is coming to an end, and she is trying to start her next chapter with a smooth transition. When it comes to Whitney, her plans to wed college sweetheart Ola are starting to get out of control, and combine that with a hectic job and a chance encounter? Well, it makes the struggle quite real. As for Sondi? She is a Ph.D. student sleeping with her advisor and so ingrained in his life that his daughter knows her and even has a secret language with her!

Leaving Ella. She appears to be the youngest of the four and also the least stable. Formerly, she had what could have been a notable writing career, but after being dropped by her publisher, now she writes for an entertainment magazine to some chagrin.

However, together, the ladies are making it in New York City and finding every way they can to keep hope alive.

Notable Episodes

Episode 1: Anderson returns from South Africa

Episode 3: It’s Ella’s 32^nd birthday

Ella McFair (Andrea Bordeaux)

Ella (Andrea Bordeaux) looking exasperated

31 when we meet her, 32 by episode 3 of the first season, Ella was an up-and-coming writer almost two years ago until she was dropped by her publisher. Since then, her boyfriend left for South Africa, and while she has found a way to keep living in New York, thanks to being Sondi’s roommate, life certainly hasn’t been easy.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1
Parents’ Marriage (1.1): Ella’s parents have been together for 40 years

Teen Ella (Shania Mundy) and Teen Renee at a school dance

Teen Years (1.6): We meet Ella as a teen
Book (1.6): “What The El” was her first book
- Memoir (1.6): She wrote her memoir at 19 and at the time had 100,000 followers
Former Job Offer (1.6): Before her current job with Barb, she was offered the position of Editorial Director

Quotes & Gifs

GRITS: Girls raised in the south.
— Ella

It’s not an excuse. It’s what happened.
— Ella (1.6)

Fear is good. Fear is fuel.
— Ella (1.7)

Barb (Erika Alexander)

Barb is Ella’s boss who has a storied history in lifestyle magazines. At 35, she was the first Black Editor In Chief of a mainstream lifestyle publication, and at 45, she shows no signs of slowing down.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1

Quotes & Gifs

Be as committed to grateful as you are self-pity.
— Barb (1.1)

Sondi Hill (Corbin Reid)

Sondi (Corbin Reid) giving Ella a pep talk

A Ph.D. advisee with a focus in African-American studies, Sondi is “woke,” but thankfully, her default isn’t the version of the term which often can make a situation more serious than it needs to be. However, this isn’t to say that she doesn’t read more into a situation than her friends, or partner Matthew, may do.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1
Accolades (1.3): Is a Fulbright Scholar
Age (1.3): In 2002, Sondi was 14
Origins (1.4): She is from Memphis

Quotes & Gifs

“Sis” is the most passive-aggressive, non-sisterly shit ever.
— Sondi

Matthew (Stephen Bishop)

Sondi’s thesis adviser, a professor, and the father of Amari, Matthew juggles multiple hats, and it seems Sondi is the main one he lets fall if something happens.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1
Time Together (1.5): Has been with Sondi 2 years.
Legacy (1.5): The Brownstone he owns has been in the family 3 generations and his family was the first Black one on the block
Started Dating (1.6): Started dating Sondi three years ago

Quotes & Gifs

Amari (Ellie Reine)

Amari is Matthew’s six-year-old daughter who has known Sondi for two years and has crafted a language with her.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1

Quotes & Gifs

Whitney (Amber Stevens West)

A banker, soon to be married and struggling with her future husband’s expectations for a wife.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1

Teen Whitney (Aubrey Cleland) giddy at a school dance

Teen Version (1.6): We meet as a teen

Quotes & Gifs

Renee (Bresha Webb)

The wild one of her group, Renee, is soon to be divorced, highly educated, and honestly just trying to live her best life before she has to admit she is aging.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1
Length Of Friendship (1.1): Renee has known Ella for around 25 years
Astrology (1.4): Is Taurus and born in the year of the Dragon

Teen Renee (Tamya Taylor) checking Whitney

Teen Version (1.6): We meet her teen version, Tamya Taylor
Fly Girl (1.6): Since 4th grade, Renee has been dressing herself and looking fly or at least standing out
Eclipse (1.7): Ella has worked at Eclipse for 7 years on Abby’s team

Quotes & Gifs

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
— Renee (Quoting Maya Angelou) – 1.7

Anderson (Nick Sagar)

Anderson is Ella’s ex who left two years ago to South Africa to pursue a major job opportunity which has led to him being given the nickname: Satan.

Additional Information

Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1
Resume (1.8): Morehouse undergrad, Yale Law non-profit lawyer who has no kids, no convictions, but has student loan debt.

Quotes & Gifs