While cutting together scenes for the new series “Forever,” Mara Brock Akil, who has created shows like “Girlfriends,” “Being Mary Jane,” and “The Game,” recalls asking her video editor to pause for a moment. Was there a problem? No. Akil was watching someone very right: the show's female lead, Lovie Simone.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, not only is this girl beautiful, she’s acting her (expletive) off,” Akil said. It was a privilege to know that “something that I wrote is aligned with her moment.”
The title “Forever” may sound familiar because it shares a name with the Judy Blume novel first published in 1965, but frequently challenged by critics because it includes teen sexuality. This version is also a coming-of-age story but takes place in 2018 and 2019 instead of the 1960s, and the couple at the center of the story is Black. The series debuts Thursday on Netflix.
“I think it does a good job at mimicking the energy and the intention of the book,” said Simone who had not read “Forever...” prior to this job.
The protagonists, Keisha and Justin (played by Simone and newcomer Michael Cooper Jr.), meet at a New Year's party, like in the book. The two knew one another as kids, but it's been years since they've seen each other, and now there are romantic sparks.
Simone says that while yes, the show is about young romance and firsts, there's plenty of character development too.
“It was like, ‘Wow, I am the love interest, AND I have a story to tell while being the love.'” It’s really nice to not just be the girlfriend,” she said.
Early on in filming, Simon and Cooper purposely kept their distance off screen to make their reacquaintance authentic.
“In the beginning of the story, they hadn’t talked in so long so, we didn’t want to have too much rapport,” she said. “We were like, 'OK. We’re not gonna see each other too much ... We still kind of want to be strangers a little bit.”
Keisha is also grappling with betrayal by her ex-boyfriend who shared an intimate video of her that was seen by other students. She transferred schools to escape the bullying. Keisha is determined to be perfect in all things to get into Howard University and make her mother proud.
That pressure to live up to high standards is a familiar one for many teens and “we can all relate to those feelings and how they make us feel,” said Simone.
Set in Los Angeles, the show was filmed in real neighborhoods giving it authenticity. The characters shop in the Fairfax District. Keisha lives in Crenshaw, and Justin's family lives in Park-Windsor Hills, an affluent African American neighborhood.
Simone wasn't familiar with LA prior to filming. She grew up in New York and now lives in Atlanta.
“I don’t know too much about LA culture. I know the stigmas around it, but I don’t know LA culture, and coming here and falling in love with the true LA culture was so amazing,” she said.
Simone began acting around age 9 and remains the only actor in her family. She has a twin sister, Yuri, a musician who goes by Reiyo The Giant. Simone's original dream was to be like Selena, Miley, Keke and Zendaya.
“I really wanted to be the girl on Disney Channel with the neon wand, tracing out the logo,” Simone said, adding that as she got older, she felt a pull to more serious stories.
Her first big opportunity was the role of rebellious teen Zora on the OWN drama “Greenleaf, ” about the family behind a popular megachurch. After the first season as a recurring character, Simone was bumped up to series regular.
“That was college for me. It was four years with all of these ‘GOATS’ like Oprah Winfrey, Lynn Whitfield, Keith David, Lamman Rucker.
“I learned how to react with a sense of grounded-ness. I really want to always fool myself. I know that we are acting for audiences, but I work to fool myself, to make myself believe that I exited myself and a new person came in.”
The experience also raised the bar for Simone's career goals going forward.
“Now I can have a bit more discernment with my future projects because I’ve worked with all of these living legends,” she said.
If by chance “Forever” gets a second season, Simone says she would love to see Keisha's next chapter, even in a time jump post-college.
“I just wanna know more about Keisha. I fell in love with her.”
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
