Why Joey Del Marco From Grand Army Looks So Familiar
Teenagers have no shortage of issues to face in the 21st century, and as such, it should come as no surprise that a plethora of content has come out in the last few years to document these struggles. From Euphoria to 13 Reasons Why, teen dramas have provided an outlet for young people to see their experiences reflected, and now, you can add the exceptional Netflix original series Grand Army to that list.
The show follows a group of high schoolers who have to contend with a litany of issues that have become depressingly too common. The first episode starts off with a terrorist attack that forces the teachers and students of Brooklyn's Grand Army High School to go in lockdown, and things don't get much better from there.
While the audience is taken through the perspectives of several different students, Joey Del Marco (Odessa A'zion) has one of the most heartbreaking storylines out of anyone. A'zion embodies the character's many facets perfectly, which perhaps shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. She's spent her entire life in the entertainment industry with her mother being actress Pamela Adlon (Better Things), but she's quickly forging her own path and already has quite the résumé to her name.
Odessa A'zion got her big break with a brief recurring role on Nashville
For some of Odessa A'zion's earlier roles, she got by with a little help from her mother. Her first acting credit was in a comedic film titled Conception, which starred Pamela Adlon as well as David Arquette, Moon Bloodgood, and Julie Bowen. She also appeared in one episode of Better Things on FX before landing a recurring role in the fifth season of Nashville.
She first appears in the episode "Back in the Saddle Again" as Liv, a homeless girl who quickly befriends Daphne Conrad (Maisy Stella). After Liv suffers an injury, Daphne invites her to stay with her family for a while, much to the chagrin of her parents, but they decide to go along with it. After humiliating Daphne's sister, Maddie (Lennon Stella), Liv is kicked out of the house and goes about on her own, with the characters eventually receiving word that she's found a new foster family.
This would prove to be the first of many roles where A'zion had a chance to show off her talent.
Odessa A'zion then moved on to the short-lived Wayne
A lot of YouTube Premium original programming has migrated to find newfound success on other platforms. The first two seasons of Cobra Kai originally debuted on YouTube but found a greater audience after moving to Netflix. Despite stellar reviews, Wayne only lasted a single season before getting canceled, but it wasn't long until all ten episodes moved to Amazon Prime Video. The show follows a 16-year-old boy, Wayne (Mark McKenna) and his new girlfriend, Del (Ciara Bravo), on a quest to retrieve his stolen Trans Am, and since moving streaming platforms, there have been rumors a second season could be on the table (via CBR).
In the event it does come back, that could mean Odessa A'zion could return to one of her earlier roles as Trish. This character first appears in the sixth episode alongside her girlfriend, Jenny (Zoe De Grand Maison). The two quickly grow close to Del, and they even start to like Wayne to an extent ... that is until he outs Jenny to her father, who was unaware of her true sexuality.
In an interview with Screen Rant, creator Shawn Simmons hinted that he already has an idea of where season 2 could go, saying, "I had been planning it already. I already wrote the first episode back, a long time ago." Of course, if more episodes do happen, A'zion may be a bit busy to return considering how in-demand she's becoming.
Odessa A'zion starred in another TV series cut short — Fam
Odessa A'zion has done a lot of jumping around so far in her career from one TV series to the next, and before landing at Netflix's Grand Army, she starred in the traditional sitcom Fam on CBS. She stars as Shannon, a rebellious 16-year-old girl who unexpectedly moves in with her sister, Clem (Nina Dobrev), who seemingly got her life together after getting engaged to a great guy, Nick (Tone Bell). Along with the girls' estranged father, Freddy (Gary Cole), coming back into their lives, Clem suddenly has to deal with a host of issues in the lead-up to her big wedding.
Sadly, the series just couldn't find a sizable enough audience, and it was canceled after its first season (via Deadline). In case you want to catch up with the 13 episodes that were able to air, they're available for purchase on VUDU and Google Play, but you don't have to look that far if you want to find A'zion in a role that truly fits her with Grand Army.
Hopefully, the Netflix series gets picked up for a second season, but even if it doesn't, A'zion's just getting started. From comedy to drama, she's already starred in a wide breadth of projects to show off her acting acumen. Going forward, it's clear she can pretty much do anything.