LOS ANGELES – For decades, we’ve been able to see what a strong Black father image looks like, which is very imperative to our culture and community. Anyone from James Evans [John Amos] on “Good Times“, to Carl Winslow [Reginald Vel Johnson] on “Family Matters“, Philip Banks [James Avery] on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air“, Bill Cosby [Dr. Huxtable] on “The Cosby Show“, Sherman Hemsley [George Jefferson] on “The Jeffersons“, and watching the hit show “Forever” on Netflix as Wood Harris continues to elevate that image of Black fatherhood in today’s climate.
The show explores complex family dynamics, including the delicate balance of raising a young Black male in today’s world. A particularly poignant scene involves Wood Harris’s character, Eric, and Karen Pittman’s character, Dawn, discussing how to prepare their son, Michael, for the challenges he may face, particularly when interacting with law enforcement.
The scene highlights a difference in perspective, with Dawn leaning towards a more protective approach, while Eric advocates for allowing Michael room to grow and navigate these situations. Wood Harris and Michael Cooper Jr., who plays Michael, discussed the dynamic with Nitecast Media between these two parents and how they manage to maintain respect and honor each other while still setting an example for their son.
Harris explained that this dynamic was rooted in the script and reflects the natural “yin and yang” of things. “Yes, I think this is again, it’s in the script, but it’s the yin and yang of things,” he said. He drew on his own experiences being raised by a man, emphasizing the often-unspoken influence of fathers on their sons. “You know, me as a father, I’m a father. I have a son and a daughter. I’m also a man who was raised by a man. It’s not often that it’s talked about, but men raised by men, you know, the type of thing.
“He let my mother do what she did, and then he just did what he did. And that’s basically what I’m doing. I let Dawn [Karen Pittman] do her thing, and if I totally object to it, I just totally object to it. And she really rides with that objection. You know, there’s no argument back and forth necessarily,” Harris said on the parallels between his character’s relationship with Dawn and his own father’s relationship with his mother.
Michael Cooper Jr. echoed Harris’s sentiments, praising the show’s creator, Mara Brock Ali, for crafting distinct and believable characters. “I think, like Wood said, it was everything was in that script. And, you know, to see it because Mara [Brock Ali] has such a specific voice for each of these characters. So, even reading it. I thought, ‘Oh, this is my mom, this is my dad. ‘Like, this is, you know what I mean?“
Cooper Jr. also revealed that his parents mirrored the dynamic portrayed on screen.
“My mom will say, I am Dawn’s character. My dad’s chill and laid-back, but when he puts his foot down, everybody kind of hears it; we hear it. And he says, ‘You know, I can’t always go to my mom for certain things. I’ve got to go to my dad. And it’s like that same, you know, that, that counterpoint because all of it’s, it’s like, it’s the yin and the yang.
“But it was really cool to see, you know, obviously when you’re making the show, like what you said, you’re in the forest, like you’re in the thing. So to see what it came out to be.“
Through nuanced writing and compelling performances, “Forever” offers a realistic and relatable portrayal of parenting, highlighting the importance of communication, respect, and understanding in navigating the challenges of raising children in a complex world.
