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Da’Vinchi (L) and Ajiona Alexus star in “Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman,” which premieres on Saturday. The photo is courtesy of Lifetime.
NEW YORK, June 17 (UPI) — Actress Ajiona Alexus, known for her roles in “Empire” and “13 Reasons Why,” discusses the portrayal of her character Kendra in “Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman.” Alexus mentions that although Kendra has matured, she still experiences troubles and challenges.
In a recent virtual press conference, Alexus said, “Troubles never stop coming your way and I just think you see another phase of Kendra — older and more established.”
Alexus continues, “Just because she is more successful in her life doesn’t mean the problems stop. You’re always finding strength on your journey. It never stops. Kendra, I think, is just the real definition of resilience. Even when she is going through stuff from college to now, she’s always pursuing her dreams and goals, and you see her balance all of that.”
The Lifetime movies are inspired by Grammy-winner Mary J. Blige’s songs with the same titles. Blige also serves as the executive producer of both projects.
“Real Love,” which premiered on Lifetime on June 10, follows Kendra as she begins her studies at an HBCU in North Carolina. Throughout the film, she falls in love with her photo class partner Ben (played by Da’Vinchi), faces an unexpected pregnancy, financial struggles, and disapproving parents.
Premiering this Saturday, “Strength of a Woman” takes place 15 years later, where Kendra is now a successful photographer trapped in a failing marriage and is unexpectedly reunited with Ben.
These films allowed Alexus to reunite with Da’Vinchi, whom she previously co-starred with in the Starz series “Black Mafia Family.”
In regards to working with Da’Vinchi again, Alexus said, “We had so much fun. I was actually happy it was him because we already had a rapport and chemistry built from before.”
Producer Jordan Davis expresses her privilege to collaborate with Blige. Blige provided valuable input throughout the process, including the scripts, casting, and costumes.
Davis said, “She worked with us every step of the way. You can see in the films her spirit and her brand.”
Davis also admits that she was a fan of Mary J. Blige, just like everyone else. She was thrilled when Blige shared the idea of turning her songs into films.
Blige believes that the movies effectively capture the messages she wanted to convey through her music. She explains, “When I wrote ‘Real Love’ and ‘Strength of a Woman,’ I was searching for love in people and couldn’t find it. I finally found it in myself.”
In a pre-taped video promoting the films, Blige says, “I think the songs resonate because everyone is searching. As the executive producer for these movies, I’ve been able to develop these songs into love stories with my music as the backdrop. It was a dream come true to make my songs into movies.”
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