Pop-Culturalist.com

In Found Season 2, Shanola Hampton continues to shine as both the star and producer, delivering a powerhouse performance that highlights her range and depth. As Gabi Mosely, a public relations specialist with a harrowing past, Hampton brings to life a character driven by compassion, strength, and an unrelenting desire to help those the world has forgotten.

The show tackles the heartbreaking reality of over 600,000 people going missing in the U.S. each year, many of whom are people of color whose stories are overlooked by the media. Gabi, once one of those forgotten herself, now leads a crisis management team committed to finding the missing and reuniting them with their families. But Gabi carries a dark secret—one that threatens to destroy everything. In a moment of grief, she took justice into her own hands by imprisoning her childhood kidnapper, Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Now, with Sir on the loose, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Shanola about Found Season 2, Gabi’s path to redemption, and the fallout from that shocking reveal, setting the stage for a season full of tension, emotion, and unexpected twists.

PC: Beyond being incredibly entertaining and gripping to watch, Found has a strong sense of purpose in shining a light on those who have gone missing and are underrepresented in mainstream media, and that has always been the show’s North Star. Given how timely and relevant the subject matter is, and the broad reach you all have, is there a different level of responsibility when working on a project like this? How have your personal interactions with fans of the show continued to inspire and impact your work?
Shanola: It inspires us to ensure we’re authentic in telling these stories and properly representing those who are underrepresented in each community. We take it very seriously. Because we have a large reach, we want to depict each group of people whom we’re trying to bring light to in a way that serves them, that’s accurate, and to tell the story in a way that we feel benefits each of these communities. So the responsibility is greater in that sense. It’s been really lovely to see those who have said thanks for shedding a light and also those who have been like, “I didn’t even know this was an issue!” That’s been really, really lovely.

PC: Not only are you starring in the series, but you’re also a producer. How early in the process did you realize you wanted to take on these multiple roles?
Shanola: After leaving a successful show like Shameless, which ran for eleven seasons, I knew I didn’t just want to be an actor for hire. I wanted to build on the experience I had on set and take on the producer role—not for title sake, but to use the voice I developed working with the cast and crew. I wanted to add my artistic perspective behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera. So for me, it was always the next step, and I knew pretty early on in the process.

PC: Gabi’s journey in Season 1 was about not being a victim and becoming victorious, as she’s expressed. In Season 2, the focus shifts towards not being defined by one’s mistakes. You brought so much nuance to her various layers. How did you create the space to explore her complexities, and how did your mindset change going into Season 2 now that her secret is out and her relationships with the team have shifted so drastically?
Shanola: I knew that her vulnerability and fragility needed to really come through. As human beings, we often get broken down to our lowest points, and it’s difficult to show that kind of vulnerability. I wanted to highlight that, even though Gabi appears put together on the outside, she’s experienced horrible things. She shouldn’t have made the choices she did, given how she presents herself to others, but the human mind is fragile. When pushed to the edge, you never truly know how you’ll react in those moments.

It was important to show that even though Gabi Mosely makes a terrible mistake, I wanted to shed light on her deep sense of longing for penance, and what it feels like to beat yourself up over something. No one can punish her more than she’s already punished herself. Every punch she takes from the team, she feels is justified. She believes she deserves the pain because of what she did.

However, one should not be defined by their worst mistake. For the audience to go on this journey with her, I hope it encourages them to reflect on their own lives and the things they may have gotten wrong. Yes, accountability is important, but if a mistake doesn’t define who you are, then it’s not who you are. This is a beautiful journey, not only for those of us telling the story in front of the camera, but for those watching at home as well.

PC: The chess game between Gabi and Sir has reached a new threat level heading into Season 2. What can you tease about the dynamic between the team and how that’s been affected by Sir’s escape?
Shanola: I can tease that it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. I think audiences will be split—half will be tweeting, “Forgive her already,” and the other half, “Hell yeah, we’re still mad at Gabi.” When you spark that kind of interaction, you know you’re doing something right. I can also say it’s going to be a long journey and a process that won’t end quickly. Audiences will have the chance to grapple with whether they forgive Gabi and how they feel about it. Maybe they start the season angry with her, but by the end, they find some resolution—and that’s a beautiful thing. And let’s not forget, Sir is still out there on the streets!

PC: That scene between the two of you on the bench in the trailer is spine-tingling. There’s also a big discussion about whether all the work that Mosely & Associates has done is now tainted given Sir’s involvement. What’s your take on that, and how similar or different is it from Gabi’s?
Shanola: It’s very similar to Gabi’s. You go back and forth. You have this genius of a man who’s also a sociopath. That’s what he is—he’s crazy, but he’s so good at putting himself in the mindset of other sociopaths who commit these heinous acts. Gabi uses that to solve cases quickly because the first 48 hours are so crucial. Can she do it by herself? Yeah. Gabi knows she can, and as the person playing Gabi, I know she can too. But you start second-guessing yourself because you’ve relied on this crutch for so long. So what happens when you have to walk on your own and your foot is no longer broken? You limp a bit at first, but then your feet get stronger. Confidence grows, and you realize, “I can do this.” Is their work tainted? No, we saved lives. Families were reunited. Whenever that doubt creeps in, I remind myself that, no matter how they got there, people’s lives were saved. That’s the most important thing.

PC: Beautifully said. Gabi and her team have a wonderful tradition of welcoming back those who were missing. Do you have any traditions of your own when wrapping up an episode?
Shanola: We have so many different things we do. It’s not just the cast, but the crew as well—we’re a family. Every day, when we start the first scene, we sing about how we’ve all come to play. And at the end of the day, we sing off our guest stars too. When they’re wrapping, we sing, dance, and celebrate that they came to play. So a lot of it revolves around singing.

To keep up with Shanola, follow her on Instagram. Season 2 of Found premieres on October 3rd. Stream it the next day on Peacock.

Photo Credit: Kwaku Alston/NBC