Judy Blume's novel Forever has been a favorite of young readers since its publication in 1975, yet Lovie Simone didn't discover it herself until she was asked to audition for the lead role in a new Netflix adaptation. "I read the book in one sitting, and I was obsessed," Simone tells Gold Derby. "I was like, OK, now I'm really motivated to try and get this role." That reading did the trick, as she got the part and earned a Gotham Award nomination for it.

Created for television by Mara Brock Akil, Forever centers on a budding romance between high school athletes Keisha Clark (Simone) and Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.), who fall in love despite the protestations of their families and friends. In adapting the book, Akil moves the action to 2018 Los Angeles, adding social media into the

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