Forever cast: Who stars in the Netflix romantic drama?

The relatable, turbulent and often heart-breaking story resonated with readers back in the '70s and '80s. Now, it’s been modernised and reimagined in an eight-part series by Mara Brock Akil for a whole new audience to fall in love with.

No stranger to coming-of-age stories, Akil – who is the creator of Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane – brought the action of the series forward to 2018 Los Angeles.

Casting for Keisha (Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr) was the most important part of the process, as the story hinges on two childhood friends who reunite as teenagers at a party and navigate those awkward, life-defining years from adolescence into adulthood.

Yet Akil said that the duo instantly clicked, bringing an ease to their chemistry that made them perfect for the roles. Telling Tudum, she said: "When I saw them, I saw the world come together around them. I wasn’t in an audition anymore."

So begins a host of firsts: first dates, first kiss, first loves. It’s endearing, romantic and follows the relatable journey of two young people trying to find their place in the world and hoping it’s with each other, forever.

Read on to discover who else appears in the series.

Forever cast

Here’s an overview of the main characters within the cast, and underneath is a breakdown of the main characters, as well as a note on where you may have seen them before.

• Lovie Simone as Keisha
• Michael Cooper Jr as Justin
• Karen Pittman as Dawn
• Wood Harris as Eric
• Marvin Lawrence Winans III as Jaden
• Xosha Roquemore as Shelly
• Barry Shabaka Henley as George
• Ali Gallo as Chloe
• Niles Fitch as Darius
• Paigion Walker as Tiffany
• Adriyan Rae as Brittany
• Xavier Mills as Christian
• E’myri Crutchfield as Tammy

For more information about the characters and where you've seen the cast before, read on.

Lovie Simone plays Keisha

Who is Keisha? Keisha is a young, confident woman (and incredible running track star) who has a lot of aspirations for when her life really starts after high school. She’s smart, with her focused fixed on college, but is forced to reassess what’s important when she reconnects Justin.

What else has Lovie Simone been in? Simone rose to fame playing Zora Greenleaf in the series, Greenleaf, which was produced by Oprah Winfrey. Since then, she’s popped up in TV roles such as Orange Is the New Black, PowerBook III: Raising Kanan and starred in Apple TV’s Manhunt. The actress has also appeared in films such as The Craft: Legacy, Monster, 57 Seconds and The Walk.

Michael Cooper Jr plays Justin

Who is Justin? Justin is someone who feels trapped within his life. He’s a great athlete, but deep down he’s a nerd with a passion for making music. He wants to pursue a life different to the one his parents have planned for him, but struggles to stand up for himself.

What else has Michael Cooper Jr been in? One of Cooper Jr’s breakout roles was in the TV show series Vindication, before he appeared in films such as On the Come Up and The Inhabitant.

Karen Pittman plays Dawn

Who is Dawn? Dawn is Justin’s mother, a hard-working college graduate and a respected top executive with a thriving finance career. She wants Justin to succeed and always tries to support both her sons by serving up some tough love at times, but only as she wants what’s best for them.

What else has Karen Pittman been in? Pittman rose to fame as Lisa in The Americans, after appearing in iconic TV series such as House of Cards, Law & Order and 30 Rock. Since then, Pittman is best known for her lead roles as Mia Jordan in Apple TV’s The Morning Show and a recurring role in Yellowstone as Willa Hayes. She’s set to reprise her role as Dr Nya Wallace in And Just Like That… in the upcoming third season too.

Wood Harris plays Eric

Who is Eric? Eric is Justin’s father, Dawn’s wife and an excellent restaurateur. He’s an easy-going father who gets on well with Justin, but also wants to make sure his son is making the right decisions about his future and the most of the opportunities that they’ve worked hard to provide for him.

What else has Wood Harris been in? Harris has appeared in films such as Ant-Man, Creed and Blade Runner 2049 in his extensive career. Alongside this, he’s had recurring roles in TV series such as The Wire, Empire and Winning Time: The Rise of Laker’s Dynasty.

Xosha Roquemore plays Shelly

Who is Shelly? Shelly is Keisha’s mother, a hard-working single mother who is incredibly supportive of her daughter’s ambitions. They haven’t had much throughout their life, but she’s determined to be a grounding, supporting presence for her daughter going through the good and bad times.

What else has Xosha Roquemore been in? Roquemore has appeared in TV series such as The Mindy Project and Black Monday, as well as starred in films such as Precious, Netflix’s Family Switch and, most recently, Captain America: Brave New World.

Marvin Lawrence Winans III plays Jaden

Who is Jaden? Jaden is Justin’s younger and slightly annoying brother, but he’s sweet, offers some light relief and thoroughly idolises his big brother.

What else has Marvin Lawrence Winans III been in? You might recognise the young actor from series such as Abbott Elementary and Santiago.

Barry Shabaka Henley plays George

Who is George? George is Keisha’s grandfather, a very protective father figure who is on hand to give advice during the moments when she feels lost with her ever-changing teenage life.

What else has Barry Shabaka Henley been in? Henley has had an extensive acting career appearing in series such as Bob Hearts Abishola, Black-ish, Hustle, Grey’s Anatomy, as well as films such as Collateral, Carrie, A Star Is Born and The Terminal.

Ali Gallo plays Chloe

Who is Chloe? Chloe is Keisha’s best friend who is on hand to be support her through her highs and lows, even if she does become slightly self-involved at times, as, well, she has her own high school teenage issues to deal with.

What else has Ali Gallo been in? The actress is known for her film roles in Incoming and Unhuman, as well as for the TV series The Sex Life of College Girls.

Niles Fitch plays Darius

Who is Darius? Darius is Justin’s best friend and fellow athlete, who wants to help Justin become more confident. He’s more outgoing than Justin, especially when it comes to speaking and flirty with girls – which is one of the main goals at this point in his life.

What else has Niles Fitch been in? Fitch began as a child actor and had a long-running role in the acclaimed series This Is Us. He’s also appeared in That ‘90s Show, Atypical and films such as The Fallout.

Paigion Walker plays Tiffany and Adriyan Rae plays Brittany

Who are Tiffany and Brittany? Tiffany is Keisha’s older cousin. She’s a stylish new mum who is struggling to let go of her life before motherhood. Brittany is one of Keisha’s cousins, along with Tiffany. The trio often hang out together and put the world to rights.

What else have Paigion Walker and Adriyan Rae been in? Walker has appeared in film such as Quarantine Day 99, A Kill for a Kill and Why Do Men Cheat?. Rae has appeared in TV series such as Syfy’s Vagrant Queen, Chicago Fire, The Game and Atlanta.

Xavier Mills plays Christian

Who is Christian? Christian is Keisha’s ex-boyfriend and another great basketball player, who Keisha is slightly hung up on at the start of the series.

What else has Xavier Mills been in? Mills is best known for his roles in films such as The Burial, as well as TV series Legacies and Genius.

Additional cast includes:

• E’myri Crutchfield (The Kicks, Fargo) plays Tammy - Every teenage drama needs a rival, and for Keisha, that’s Tammy. She’s another track star on the team, who is confident and determined to do what it takes to bump Keisha off the number one spot.

Forever is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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