Entertainment
Why ‘The Forge’ Star Aspen Kennedy Forgave and Repaired Relationship with Father
The star of the brand new film “Forge“He faced his own journey with forgiveness before he even appeared on the massive screen.
In an interview with theGrio, actor Aspen Kennedy talks in regards to the powerful calling he felt to deal with his relationship with his biological father — a really similar storyline plays out in “The Forge,” a brand new Christian film a couple of lost young man named Isaiah who struggles to seek out his purpose in life until he meets an influential black businessman who shows him the facility of mentorship and prayer.
“The same journey of forgiveness that Isaiah goes through in the movie, God took me through it in 2018 with my own father. Looking back, I know it was the Holy Spirit preparing me for this project,” Kennedy tells theGrio.
Kennedy, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, who also starred within the BET series “Kingdom of Business”TV series, was raised by a single mother and had no father in his life while growing up.
“At the time, I was like, I really didn’t understand it because unlike my character, Isaiah, I wasn’t angry. I didn’t have any bitterness in my heart. So I was like, ‘Okay, God, do you want me to reach out to someone?’ I felt like I really didn’t know. But looking back, I know it was the Holy Spirit saying, hey, I want to work this hard now because only God knew that this project was going to happen in 2023.”
This personal experience helped Kennedy fully commit to the role of Isaiah and gave him hope that The Forge audiences would see themselves within the story on screen.
“I believe it’s really vital to grasp that forgiveness, first and foremost, is for us. It’s helpful to have the ability to say, ‘You know what, this person did something to me that was mistaken, but I even have to let go.’
Beyond forgiveness, The Forge addresses a difficulty that has garnered wider media attention: the epidemic of loneliness amongst black men.
Although many reports have shown that Americans generally struggle with lonelinessWhen broken down by gender, men usually tend to report feeling lonely than women. Black men report higher feelings of loneliness and isolation than the final population.
The film focuses on showing black men living in community, talking and praying over weekly meals, a model Kennedy hopes will encourage them to implement in real life.
“This movie is really important because it shows that you don’t have to go through life alone,” Kennedy told TheGrio. “Especially as black men, we need to know that it’s okay to lean on each other and say, ‘I need prayer,’ or, ‘I messed up, what do I do?’”
“The Forge” also stars actress and New York Times bestselling creator Priscilla Shirer, who previously starred within the hit film “War Room.” “War Room” was made on a $3 million budget but grossed $74 million on the box office. It’s the sort of business success that defies any potential stereotypes in regards to the power of faith-based movies to appeal to a large audience. In a rustic where church attendance has declined in most religious communities, based on GallupFilms are one other technique to share the message of religion.
“People can experience God through us,” Kennedy told theGrio. “We don’t need to take them to church. And I believe the movie does a gorgeous job of illustrating that, because even in Isaiah’s journey, he never went to church, as an alternative of getting a community around him that would pray for him and encourage him and lift him up.
As for Kennedy’s relationship with his biological father, the 2 had come a great distance from where they began, and his father spoke to him usually.
“Right now, he’s just trying to make the most of his time, which I appreciate as well,” Kennedy says. “God is unquestionably working on our relationship — our relationship is effective. And I’m glad God took me on this journey of forgiveness
“The Forge” is now in cinemas.