Posted on May 12, 2025Subscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret DownMara Brock Akil Opened Up About "Forever" On Netflix, Not Caring About Turning White Characters Black, And Wanting To See More Men Be Vulnerable"As soon as we put Lovie and Michael in the scene together, it was magic!"by Morgan MurrellBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed Celeb Ever since I can remember, Mara Brock Akil has had first-hand experience in shaping the way I see Black women portrayed on TV. Whether I was in middle school watching episodes of Moesha that she helped write, or aspiring to be like some of the professional, layered Black female characters she created in shows like Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane, Love Is, and The Game, Mara has played a role in my life from girlhood into womanhood.
Well, the esteemed producer and screenwriter is back with her latest project Forever - a teen romance reimagined from Judy Blume's controversial 1975 coming-of-age novel of the same name. Set in 2018 Los Angeles, the Netflix series follows high school students Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone), a confident and driven track star with aspirations of attending Howard University. Her focus and determination are tested when she reconnects with Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.), a talented basketball player who balances his athletic pursuits with a deep, introspective nature. Their rekindled friendship blossoms into a romantic relationship, challenging both to confront their personal goals and the expectations placed upon them by their families. Through its nuanced storytelling and authentic performances, Forever delves into the emotional journey of adolescence, highlighting the joys and heartaches of young love. The series thoughtfully addresses themes such as parental pressure, self-discovery, and the impact of first relationships, offering a resonant portrayal of teenage life under a Black lens.I sat down with Mara to learn how this project was brought to life, the inspiration she sought, and the desire to change the way boys and men, particularly Black boys and men, experience love. Paras Griffin / Getty Images for Netflix Okay, let me start by saying you have another hit on your hands. I devoured this series! Mara Brock Akil: I love that. Thank you. I'm really enjoying hearing the feedback. I don't make these shows just for myself; you make them to have a conversation with an audience. I'm really thrilled to hear such feedback from you, being one of my early audiences - I consider myself my first audience. I am giddy, and I feel like I'm having my first love feelings. So, thank you! ELIZABETH MORRIS / ELIZABETH MORRIS/Netflix I instantly fell in love with Lovie Simone as Keisha Clark and Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin Edwards. Can you tell us a little bit about the audition process and how you found your Keisha and Justin? MBA: I love my art form. It is a collaborative art form. So, after you kind of push that script out, the first phone call is to one of my favorite collaborators, Kim Coleman. She's my casting director of choice, and I get to talk to her about all the things. I send her the script, get her all hyped up, and get her thinking about her list and talent. Then, my second phone call is, who's going to direct that pilot? So, I called Regina King.
So the casting process begins like that. When Lovie and Michael, separately, jump off the screen, you pick as many of the people who kind of spark, and then you bring them into a room. I think being together in real life, or IRL, as the kids say, is important. So, we did the individual auditions and mixed and matched different pairings. Then, as soon as we put Lovie and Michael in the scene together, it was magic! Everybody felt the goosebumps. Everybody felt it! Regina and I tried to look at each other during the audition, but not give it away. We felt it. I think for me, as a writer, when I sort of lean in and I start imagining how to write for the voice of those actors, that's when I know it's special. That's what we call chemistry. They changed the molecules in the room when they came together, and then that's how you know you found it. Elizabeth Morris / Elizabeth Morris/Netflix Yes, I was so excited when I saw her name in the credits. What was it like reuniting with Regina King on set, after previously working together when she directed a few episodes of Being Mary Jane? MBA: We've wanted to reunite and work together again. I thought this project was worthy of her and needed her because, I mean, though she's a really accomplished director, what we also appreciate about Regina King is the nuanced levels that she has portrayed in all of her characters and her entire career, even as a young person. So, who's going to know better how to anchor in young people into the complexity of these characters than Regina King? It was lovely to have her by my side in this moment. ELIZABETH MORRIS / Elizabeth Morris/Netflix Beautifully stated. When you talk about actors with range, an