# Geffri Maya
**Geffri Maya** (full name Geffri Maya Hightower) is an American actress, writer, and director best known for playing Simone Hicks in [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw) series *All American* and its spinoff *All American: Homecoming*, set at the fictional historically Black Bringston University in Atlanta.[1](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1450355-geffri-mayas-biography-age-height-birthday-nationality-husband/) • [2](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/talent/?view=geffri-maya) Born in Los Angeles in 1995, she began performing as a child on Broadway and built a television career spanning *Private Practice*, *[Snowfall](https://www.edgepedia.org/snowfall-tv-series)*, *Black-ish*, and the two *All American* series.[1](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1450355-geffri-mayas-biography-age-height-birthday-nationality-husband/) • [3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1531445-geffri-maya)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Geffri Maya Hightower; also credited as GeffriMaya[1](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1450355-geffri-mayas-biography-age-height-birthday-nationality-husband/) • [3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1531445-geffri-maya) |
| Born | 1995, Los Angeles, California[1](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1450355-geffri-mayas-biography-age-height-birthday-nationality-husband/) |
| Education | B.A. in Mass Communications, Clark Atlanta University, a historically Black university in Atlanta[4](https://cfda.com/news/getting-ready-for-the-critics-choice-awards-with-geffri-maya/) |
| Breakout role | Simone Hicks on *All American* (27 episodes, 2019–2022) and lead of *All American: Homecoming* (41 episodes, 2022–2024)[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1531445-geffri-maya) |
| Other television | Khadijah Brown in *Snowfall* (7 episodes, 2021); Maya Bennett/Maya Davis in *Private Practice* (12 episodes, 2007–2010); Zion in *Black-ish* (2 episodes, 2019)[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/171295/geffri-maya) |
| Early start | Began acting at age 9 on Broadway as Young Nala in Disney's *The Lion King*[1](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1450355-geffri-mayas-biography-age-height-birthday-nationality-husband/) |
## Early life and training
Maya grew up in Los Angeles and entered the industry as a child performer, appearing on Broadway at age 9 as Young Nala in Disney's *The Lion King* before moving into television as a teenager.[1](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1450355-geffri-mayas-biography-age-height-birthday-nationality-husband/) • [4](https://cfda.com/news/getting-ready-for-the-critics-choice-awards-with-geffri-maya/) Her early screen credits include a guest role as Allison on *Jericho* in 2006 and Latrinda on *Everybody Hates Chris* in 2008.[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/171295/geffri-maya)
After high school she attended [Clark Atlanta University](https://www.edgepedia.org/clark-atlanta-university), graduating with a B.A. in Mass Communications. In interviews she has described the pause after *Private Practice* as a deliberate period to redefine herself: she discovered interests in writing, directing, and painting, and worked regular jobs while living away from the industry.[4](https://cfda.com/news/getting-ready-for-the-critics-choice-awards-with-geffri-maya/) • [6](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/exclusive-geffri-maya-talks-american-170117712.html)
## Television career
**Child and teen roles.** Maya's first substantial television run was as Maya Bennett, later Maya Davis, on the ABC medical drama *[Private Practice](https://www.edgepedia.org/private-practice-tv-series)*, the *Grey's Anatomy* spinoff, appearing in 12 episodes between 2007 and 2010.[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/171295/geffri-maya) • [7](https://www.getlit.org/members/geffri-maya) Guest parts followed on *Shots Fired* (as Eufaula, 2017), *[Finding Carter](https://www.edgepedia.org/finding-carter)*, and *Black-ish*, where she played Zion in two 2019 episodes.[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/171295/geffri-maya)
**Simone Hicks.** In 2019 Maya joined the CW sports drama *All American* as Simone Hicks, a classmate involved with Jordan Baker who gives birth to a baby boy and places him for adoption; she appeared in 27 episodes through 2022.[8](https://healthyceleb.com/geffri-maya/) • [3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1531445-geffri-maya) The character anchored a backdoor pilot that aired during the show's third season, in which Simone visits Bringston University and meets baseball player Damon Sims (Peyton [Alex Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-smith)).[9](https://www.tvline.com/news/all-american-homecoming-recap-spinoff-simone-the-cw-1234696121/) The spinoff, *All American: Homecoming*, was ordered to series and premiered on February 21, 2022, with Maya as the female lead.[9](https://www.tvline.com/news/all-american-homecoming-recap-spinoff-simone-the-cw-1234696121/) • [10](https://www.wccbcharlotte.com/2022/02/21/talking-with-the-stars-of-all-american-homecoming-ahead-of-tonights-premiere/) She continued to appear as Simone on the parent series while starring on the spinoff.[2](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/talent/?view=geffri-maya)
**Khadijah Brown.** Maya played Khadijah Brown in the FX crime drama *Snowfall*, appearing in 7 episodes in 2021.[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/171295/geffri-maya) She has said she finished her *All American* work before joining *Snowfall*, then filmed both shows simultaneously once production resumed after the pandemic shutdown.[6](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/exclusive-geffri-maya-talks-american-170117712.html)
## All American: Homecoming and the HBCU story
*All American: Homecoming*, created and executive produced by showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll, follows Simone as a tennis hopeful from Beverly Hills pursuing her athletic and academic dreams at Bringston, a fictional historically Black university in Atlanta.[11](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/all-american-homecoming/about) • [12](https://naacp.org/articles/warner-bros-television-group-announces-all-american-homecoming-hbcu-scholarship) Maya's casting drew on her own experience: she is a Clark Atlanta University alumna, and she has said that attending an HBCU "wasn't a TV show, it was my real life."[13](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/geffri-maya-all-american-homecoming-hbcus-celebrating-black-stories-interview) The Los Angeles Times noted that the series joined a small group of film and television projects, including *A Different World* and *Drumline*, set at HBCUs.[14](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-07-05/all-american-homecoming-cw-hbcus)
Preparing for the tennis role took structured training. Maya hired a trainer to maintain stamina and a tennis coach to learn the sport's fundamentals and history, work she said she undertook out of respect for the game and for Black female athletes.[13](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/geffri-maya-all-american-homecoming-hbcus-celebrating-black-stories-interview) She has also emphasized the production's behind-the-scenes representation, crediting hairstylist Ryan Burrell, who joined *All American* in season three and became department head on the spinoff, with caring for the range of Black hairstyles the character wears.[13](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/geffri-maya-all-american-homecoming-hbcus-celebrating-black-stories-interview)
The series ran three seasons. Its third and final season, 13 episodes, premiered with a time jump to Simone's junior year to close out the story.[15](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/american-homecoming-star-geffri-maya-020000266.html)
## Other work
Maya's film credits include *East of La Brea*, and she starred as the lead in Brian Tinch's *Fresh Territory* and in *Beast Mode*; her later credits include the 2025 short *Tether*, in which she plays Mickie.[2](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/talent/?view=geffri-maya) • [16](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm2402764/) She describes herself as an actress, dancer, and writer based in Los Angeles.[7](https://www.getlit.org/members/geffri-maya)
## References
1. [Geffri Maya's biography, Legit.ng](https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1450355-geffri-mayas-biography-age-height-birthday-nationality-husband/)
2. [Geffri Maya bio, The CW Press](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/talent/?view=geffri-maya)
3. [Geffri Maya, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1531445-geffri-maya)
4. [Getting Ready for the Critics Choice Awards with Geffri Maya, CFDA](https://cfda.com/news/getting-ready-for-the-critics-choice-awards-with-geffri-maya/)
5. [Geffri Maya, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/171295/geffri-maya)
6. [Exclusive: Geffri Maya Talks 'All American: Homecoming', 21Ninety via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/exclusive-geffri-maya-talks-american-170117712.html)
7. [Geffri Maya, Get Lit](https://www.getlit.org/members/geffri-maya)
8. [Geffri Maya Height, Weight, Age, Biography, HealthyCeleb](https://healthyceleb.com/geffri-maya/)
9. [All American Recap: Grade The Pilot Of The CW's Homecoming Spinoff, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/news/all-american-homecoming-recap-spinoff-simone-the-cw-1234696121/)
10. [Talking With The Stars Of All American: Homecoming Ahead Of Tonight's Premiere, WCCB Charlotte](https://www.wccbcharlotte.com/2022/02/21/talking-with-the-stars-of-all-american-homecoming-ahead-of-tonights-premiere/)
11. [All American: Homecoming About, The CW Press](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/all-american-homecoming/about)
12. [Warner Bros. Television Group Announces All American: Homecoming HBCU Scholarship in Partnership With NAACP](https://naacp.org/articles/warner-bros-television-group-announces-all-american-homecoming-hbcu-scholarship)
13. [Geffri Maya Talks "All American: Homecoming," HBCUs, and Celebrating Black Stories, Teen Vogue](https://www.teenvogue.com/story/geffri-maya-all-american-homecoming-hbcus-celebrating-black-stories-interview)
14. ['All American' Season 3: How 'Homecoming' got the HBCU right, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-07-05/all-american-homecoming-cw-hbcus)
15. ['All American: Homecoming' Star Geffri Maya Discusses Season 3 Premiere, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/american-homecoming-star-geffri-maya-020000266.html)
16. [GeffriMaya, IMDb](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm2402764/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames M to Ma*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license