Photo Credit: Richie Arpino
Jasmine Guy spoke with Formidable Woman about her award-winning film, “Liam White: The Forgettable Life of Liam White” available on TVOD and The Roku Channel. The Forgettable Life of Liam White is directed and written by Harold Jackson III. This thought-provoking and powerful new film about finding hope and meaning in the darkest of times stars Shaun Woodland (The Final Purge, Big Time Adolescence), Jasmine Guy (Grey’s Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries, A Different World), Terence ‘T.C.’ Carlson (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Final Destination 2, Living Single), and Sasha Wakefield (FBI: Criminal Pursuit, Redlining). This story of an uninspired author struggling to find the motivation to keep going is one that has resonated with many people during its successful festival run that has included Film Fest D.C., Martha Vineyard’s African American Film Festival, American Black Film Festival, and Chesapeake Film Festival where it won Best Screenplay.
FWM: How has 2021 been for you creatively?
Once filming opened up again I have been working quite a bit. The first project I participated in was the “Reunited” special on E! that brought the cast of “A Different World” which was so much fun. Even with masks, shields and testing.
FWM: What moved you the most when you saw the script about Liam White?
I was moved by Liam’s quest for closure before he became too sick to try. I found him to be such a layered character, strong but vulnerable, loving yet angry. I was also impressed with the script itself and how writer and filmmaker Harold Jackson told the story.
FWM: In your new award-winning “Liam White: The Forgettable Life of Liam White” you play Liam’s mother. What intrigued you the most about this character?
Her complexity. She has become cold and bitter at this stage in her life. She is immovable, unbudging in that she has done the right thing but leaving Liam with his father. She wants Liam to find acceptance before closure, and feels that finding acceptance of his life’s journey will allow him to find peace before he dies.
FWM: Are we the sum of our experiences and a result of our mistakes?
Yes, I think so. Our lives are full, never just one thing. We must have both in our lives – the good and the bad – and we must learn to navigate both. Fortune and loss, joy and pain, to quote Maze.
FWM: Did Liam and his mother share the same philosophy in life?
Liam and his mother do not live in a compatible truth. She is cynical, while Liam is still hopeful and optimistic. He believes in good, but she has seen too much evil. They both fight for what they believe in, but they believe in different things.
FWM: What are some of the takeaways from this film?
For me, it is the love between Liam and his father (played by TC Carson), a love that has embraced and protected Liam. Ironically, even though his mother is not warm and empathetic he was raised by the right parent, the father. So, she made the right decision to leave him in the care of his father. She knows who he is.
FWM: What’s next for you?
I am in the independent film “Lady Maker” from writer and director Tony Tite, which will be released early next year. I just finished filming the holiday movie “A Wesley Family Christmas,” which should be released in time for the 2022 holiday season. Currently, you can see me in the new series “Harlem” on Amazon.
Legacy Distribution’s Liam White: The Forgettable Life of Liam White explores finding inspiration when hope is lost. Available exclusively on The Roku Channel and is available on TVOD/EST platforms including iTunes, Vudu, and Amazon.
