The star of the new movie “The Forge” faced his own journey with forgiveness before he ever hit the big screen.
In an interview with theGrio, actor Aspen Kennedy talks about the powerful call he felt to address his relationship with his biological father — a very similar storyline that plays out in “The Forge,” a new Christian-based film about an aimless young man named Isaiah who struggles to find purpose in life until he meets a powerful Black businessman who shows him the power of mentorship and prayer.
“The same forgiveness journey that Isaiah goes through in the movie, God took me through that in 2018 with my own father. Looking back now, I know it was the Holy Spirit preparing me for this project,” Kennedy tells theGrio.
Kennedy, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, who has also appeared in BET’s “Kingdom Business” TV series, was raised by a single mother and didn’t have his 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 carry any bitterness in my heart. So I was like, ‘All right God, you want me to reach out to somebody?’ I felt like I genuinely just didn’t know. But looking back now, knowing it was the Holy Spirit saying, hey, I want to work this hard now, because only God knew that this project was going to come about in 2023.”
That personal experience helped Kennedy dig deep for the role of Isaiah and drove his hope that viewers of “The Forge” would see themselves in the story onscreen.
“I feel like it’s really important to understand that forgiveness, first and foremost, is for us. It benefits you to be able to say, ‘You know what, that person did me wrong, but I have to let go.’”
In addition to forgiveness, “The Forge” addresses an issue that has gotten a lot of news attention more broadly — the loneliness epidemic among Black men.
While multiple reports have shown that Americans in general are struggling with loneliness, when broken down by gender, more men report feelings of loneliness than women. For Black men, the feelings of loneliness and isolation are higher than the general population.
The movie’s focus on portraying Black men in community with each other, talking and praying over weekly meals is a model that Kennedy hopes inspires real-life impact.
“This film is really important because it shows that you don’t have to go through life alone Kennedy tells TheGrio. Especially as Black men, we need to know it’s OK 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 best-selling author Priscilla Shirer, who previously starred in the hit film, “War Room.” “War Room” was filmed on a $3 million budget but earned $74 million at the box office. It’s the kind of commercial success that defies any potential stereotypes about the power of faith-based films to appeal to wide audiences. In a country where church attendance has dropped across most religious communities according to Gallup, movies are another way to share faith messages.
“People can experience God through us,” Kennedy tells theGrio. “We don’t have to take them to a church building. And I think the film did a beautiful job of illustrating that because even in Isaiah’s journey, he didn’t go to church one time versus having a community around him to be able to, for him to pray for him, to encourage him and uplift him.”
As for Kennedy’s own relationship with his biological father, the two have come a long way from where they began, with his father reaching out regularly.
“Now he’s just trying to make the most of time, which I appreciate, too,” Kennedy says. “God is definitely working our relationship — our relationship is well. And I’m glad God’s took me on that forgiveness journey.”
“The Forge” is in theaters now.