Michael Cooper Jr. Talks ‘Forever’ Judy Blume Film for Netflix

Michael Cooper Jr. wasn’t familiar with iconic author Judy Blume, but he instantly connected with the love story at the heart of her 1975 book “Forever.”

”As we all know, your first love, it really does shape a part of you, because it’s such an intimate and vulnerable and deep experience,” says the 23-year-old actor, who stars in a modern series adaptation of Blume’s controversial book for Netflix. The book, which centers on teenage love and sexuality, is frequently the target of censorship and efforts to ban the title from schools and libraries.

“ Honestly, I wasn’t too [familiar] with Judy’s books,” says Cooper. A month before the audition for the “Forever” role came his way, the actor was at home for Christmas when he asked his mother what she had read as a kid. “And she said Judy Blume,” he adds.

Beyond Blume’s literary legacy, Cooper was intrigued by the other names attached to the project: showrunner and screenwriter Mara Brock Akil, creator of monumental Black sitcoms including “Girlfriends,” and executive producer Regina King, who also directed the first “Forever” episode. “She’s such a grounded and inviting person, where you kind of forget it’s Regina King,” says Cooper, crediting the collaborative environment on-set for helping him overcome imposter syndrome as a first-time lead actor.

Although the book was written in 1975, the series has been adapted for modern day, and flips the gender dynamics of the romantic relationship from the original story.

“I read over my sides and there’s something really interesting that drew me to Justin,” says Cooper of his high school character’s resonance. “ Mara wrote a line that said, ‘He [Justin] had one foot in insecurity and one foot in confidence.’ And I thought that was something that we really don’t get to see all the time in its truest form, especially with males on television.”

Cooper is hopeful that the series will become a conversation-starter for viewers. “It’ll definitely open dialogue, not only within the conversations about Black love, but growing up as a Black boy in America and what that looks like, and growing up as a Black girl in America — and then coming from different socioeconomic places,” says Cooper. “Love is universal. I think we all can connect, whether it’s love in a relationship or love with a family member; self-love. I think there’s a lot of pinpoints that hopefully people in the audience can connect to.”

Ahead of its May 8 release date, the actor watched a screener of the series alongside friends and family, who were surprised by his onscreen performance. 

“They looked at the screen, they were like: ‘that’s not you. That’s not you at all,’” he says. “[For me] it was kind of eerie watching Justin, because he is so different than who Michael is.”

Cooper, who calls Dallas home, graduated from Texas Tech last year with a degree in political science. He had originally set out to become a lawyer, but pivoted from that initial path to pursue acting, which he’d fallen in love with during high school.

“ I grew up mainly playing sports, and I dabbled in theater in church,” he says, adding that a teammate suggested that he audition for the high school musical during his sophomore year. One of his musical castmates had been working professionally in the film industry for several years, which led Cooper to consider the possibility of a career in entertainment for himself.

“Everybody’s like, ‘it’s difficult.’ It’s hard and it is difficult, but I have this thing where when I get tunnel vision, I get kind of obsessive. And so I was learning everything, staying up late, learning how to break down scripts, character analysis,” says Cooper. “I was doing all this work behind the scenes.” 

So far, the work has paid off. Before “Forever,” the actor had supporting roles in horror film “The Inhabitant” with Odessa A’zion and Leslie Bibb, and the film adaptation of Angie Thomas’ YA book “On the Come Up.” Looking ahead, Cooper has bigger ambitions in the industry, naming directors like Luca Guadagnino and Rylan Coogler as inspirations (and aspirations).

“I know every Black boy in Hollywood wants to play Miles Morales, Spider-Man. That would be a dope project to be a part of,” he adds. “I’m open to a lot, and I’m open to continue to learn this craft and progress.”