The two characters at the heart of Netflix‘s Forever may not have a love story everyone can relate to, but their experiences are certainly universal.

In the new TV series from the mind of Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, The Game), Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. play Keisha Clark and Justin Edwards, characters very loosely inspired by the main protagonists in the eponymous Judy Blume book the show is based on. Like the 50-year-old novel, the show delves into the themes of young love and early sexual experiences, including awkwardness and uncertainty.

To bring it to the small screen, the actors had to tap into their younger selves and attempt to reconnect with the good and bad parts of being a teen. For Cooper Jr., playing Justin — a promising athlete and struggling student who has the weight of the world riding on his shoulders thanks to unrealistic expectations from his parents — the hardest part about connecting with the character was channeling his more emotional side.

“If I’m gonna be completely honest, I was nervous stepping into him. I was like, ‘My guys are gonna clown me for this one because he’s such an emotional and he’s such a vulnerable guy. And so I think the emotionality of it all was challenging for me because I had to kind of go back and reopen some wounds in a sense,” he said. “But it was also this healing process.”

For Simone, however, reliving some of her earliest moments with love also came with the awkwardness of teenage relationships and navigating first intimate moments. It just provided more of a playground for her as an actress to bring a well-rounded character to life, she said.

“I think we’ve all been awko-tacos in love in the beginning of things, whether it be because we’re young or because this is a new person,” the actress explained. “It’s really just a matter of pulling that out and just being real dramatic with it.”

Check out our full interview with Cooper Jr. and Simone below.

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DECIDER: I feel like whenever we’re talking about romances, people are always asking the actors, how did you find that romantic chemistry? But there is a distinct level of awkwardness between these two teenagers here. How did you find that?

LOVIE SIMONE: I think we’ve all been awko-tacos in love in the beginning of things, whether it be because we’re young or because this is a new person. I feel like we’ve experienced a little bit of discomfort, so it’s really just a matter of pulling that out and just being real dramatic with it.

MICHAEL COOPER JR: I think it’s really a testament to Mara’s writing. But when I was in high school, I know I wasn’t cool and I wasn’t suave. And we see so many teenagers who are 30 years old and they are portraying these teenagers that feel grown, in a sense. And I think, you, know, Forever does a great job at presenting the youth. For me personally, with Justin, I went to a private school and I was interacting with the kids and seeing how they interacted with one another. I just remember saying, “Oh my God, they are really uncomfortable with one other.” And so, I just channeled that energy and I was able to bring Justin alive.

Michael, you just kind of touched on my next question. This show is going to be so relatable for so many people, I think so many are going to able to see themselves in their first loves. What part was easiest for you to connect for your role? And conversely, what was the hardest for you to connect to?

COOPER JR: Justin is not me. If I’m gonna be completely honest, I was nervous stepping into him. I was like, “My guys are gonna clown me for this one because he’s such an emotional and he’s such a vulnerable guy.” And so I think the emotionality of it all was challenging for me because I had to kind of go back and reopen some wounds in a sense, but it was also this healing process. And then the thing that really hit me hard was, I mean, Justin struggles with ADHD and I struggle with it on a different level. When I’m in my mode, I have tunnel vision in a sense, and it’s hard for me to move from one thing to the next. So I think ADHD really allowed me to instantly connect with Justin.

SIMONE: For me, I would say with Keisha — in high school, I was also very out of the way. I wasn’t out of the way for the reasons that she was out the way, but I was pretty low-key to myself, so I did bring that aspect of her to things. It was a little harder to come back to it and have the low-key vibe because of a trauma, but it was very interesting to play out and go through as Keisha, but we were both low-key girls.

Lovie, I know you said that you had made a Keisha playlist. I want to know what is Keisha listening to in 2025? And Michael, what is on a Justin playlist?

SIMONE: In 2025, Keisha is listening to Doechii, she’s listening to Destin Conrad, she is listening to Kehlani, and she’s listening to all of the LA young people who are just artistic and creative and about love and growing. Maybe Jhené Aiko still, she’s still listening to her, she was listening to her back in 2018, too.

COOPER JR: I think for Justin, he’s listening to an array of music because that’s where he draws his inspiration for his craft. So I can’t pinpoint specific artists, but I mean, some that come to mind are J. Cole, he’s a huge inspiration for him. I think he still listens to Daft Punk and things of that nature, but I think he really listens to a multitude of things.

And you know they’re both still singing “Not Like Us,” right?

SIMONE: Yes, Kendrick all the way.

COOPER JR: You know they are, you know they are.

Forever is now streaming on Netflix.