Newcomers Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. lead the cast as headliners.
must-watch series
, yet it includes many familiar faces in minor roles as well. Up next, learn more about these recognizable cast members.
Forever
cast and characters you’re sure to fall in love with when the show begins streaming on May 8, 2025.

Contents show

Lovie Simone portrays Keisha Clarke.

Lovie Simone
portrays Keisha, who forms half of the main duo in the Netflix show. Keisha is both a top athlete and an outstanding student aiming for a sports scholarship at Howard University. She is striving to leave behind her past image from her former school. Her life takes a new turn upon meeting Justin, someone she has admired since they were young.

Simone, aged 26, gained prominence from her leading part in the television show on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
Greenleaf
, which ran from 2016 to 2020. She was a main character in the first season of
Power Book III: Raising Kanan
and was also featured in the
2024 true-crime miniseries
Manhunt
In contrast to Tobias Menzies, her breakthrough film performance came in the 2019 cult-favorite independent movie.
Selah and the Spades
.

Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin Edwards

Michael Cooper Jr. is Justin, the level-headed son of a wealthy family. Justin hasn’t let his privilege go to his head, but he also isn’t as self-motivated as Keisha, especially in the academic department. He’s passionate about basketball, music, and his girlfriend Keisha, and finds himself at a crossroads about his future during the season.

Cooper Jr. began with shorts before securing a part in the 2022 movie.
On the Come Up,
directed by Sanaa Lathan.

Xosha Roquemore as Shelly

Xosha Roquemore
co-stars as Shelly, Keisha’s single mother who juggles several jobs to help fulfill her daughter’s aspirations. Unaware of the actual reasons behind her daughter having to depart from her previous school, she feels wounded upon discovering the truth about what happened and how events unfolded.

You’re likely to recognize Roquemore, aged 40, from the 2009 Academy Award-nominated movie directed by Lee Daniels.
Precious
or their supporting role in the popular show
comedy
The Mindy Project,
where she was present for the entire six-season duration. In 2020, she led the cast of the first season of the romantic anthology series created by Ava DuVernay.
Cherish the Day
.

Karen Pittman portrayed Dawn Edwards.

Karen Pittman
‘S Dawn is the primary earner for her family and serves as the devoted matriarch of the Edwards clan. Concerned about Justin’s prospects, she puts in significant effort to ensure he gets into Northwestern University—an institution where both her character and Pittman attended college. Despite this, she expresses joy over her son dating a Black woman.

Pittman, who is 38 years old, is probably most recognized for her part in
The Morning Show
opposite
Jennifer Aniston
and
Reese Witherspoon
As a producer for the eponymous morning news program, she soon took on an acting role as well.
Sex and the City
sequel series
And Just Like That…
, although she won’t be coming back for the
new season
That starts at the end of May 2025. Pittman’s additional credentials encompass popular series such as
Luke Cage
and
The Americans
.

Wood Harris portrays Eric Edwards.

Wood Harris
plays Eric, Justin’s father and a chef by trade. He’s the more relaxed parent of the two who has to remind his wife to allow Justin to make his own mistakes, though he’s equally worried about his son’s professional prospects.

Harris, aged 55, has appeared in movies such as
Remember the Titans
(2000) and
Above the Rim
(1994) before starring in the acclaimed HBO hit
The Wire
as the drug kingpin Avon Barksdale during the hit
‘00s show
’s run from 2002 to 2008. Since then, he’s also acted in the TV series
Empire
, the
Creed
film franchise, and the Marvel film
Ant-Man
. In addition to
Forever,
he can also currently be seen on the Starz series
BMF
.

Marvin Lawrence Winans III as Jaden

Jaden is Justin’s younger brother, who both looks up to and pokes fun at his older brother, especially when Justin is chastised by their mom.

Before his supporting role in
Forever
, Marvin Lawrence Winans III appeared in three episodes of
Abbott Elementary,
the 2022 film
First
, and the television show
Santiago
Similar to the Edwards family depicted in the series, Winans III is also a passionate basketball enthusiast with ambitions of playing professionally: He
Instagram bio
lists him primarily as a basketball player first and an actor second, mentioning his “NBA aspirations.” The emerging talent hails from a family of performers; his dad is a singer and producer.
Marvin Winans Jr.
, and his grandparents, Vickie and Marvin Winans, were famous figures in the world of gospel music.

Barry Shabaka Henley portrays George

For Keisha,
Barry Shabaka Henley
George serves as both her grandfather and a paternal figure for her since her father isn’t reliably around. He frequently joins his granddaughter for her dawn practice sessions and sometimes shares advice regarding her issues with boys.

Henley, who is 70 years old, has built his career as a character actor, particularly known for his work in the movies directed by Michael Mann, the filmmaker responsible for these productions.
Ali, Collateral,
and
Miami Vice
On television, he has appeared as an actor in
Bob Loves Abishola, FlashForward, Barbershop,
and
Robbery Homicide Division.

Niles Fitch as Darius, Justin’s best friend

Niles Fitch
appears as Darius, Justin’s best friend, who first alerts him about the rumors surrounding Keisha and her past relationship. Though he’s wary and doesn’t entirely understand the love between Justin and Keisha, he is ultimately supportive.

You may know Fitch, aged 23, from his part in
This Is Us
, where he portrayed young Randall throughout the entire series run. With his
This Is Us
Among his fellow cast members, he was awarded a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2018. Fitch additionally made an appearance in
Megan Park
’s school shooting film
The Fallout
, opposite
Jenna Ortega
and
Maddie Ziegler
, and played a minor part in the 2017 film led by Denzel Washington.
Roman J. Israel, Esq
.

Ali Gallo as Chloe

Ali Gallo
portrays Chloe, who is Keisha’s closest pal from their old private school. It is because of Chloe’s party that Justin and Keisha end up meeting again initially.

Gallo, who is 26 years old, has been featured in several television programs.
The Sexual Experiences of University Women
and
Virtual Morality,
and the film
Unhuman
She will also be starring in
The Late Night Creep
, a movie starring Leslie Jones and Jason Mitchell.

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