ABC’s ‘For Life’ made a big splash when it debuted earlier this year, a prisoner-turned lawyer story loosely based on the life of Isaac Wright Jr, a man wrongfully convicted and doomed to over 70 years in prison before his sentence was overturned.
The show’s main character, Aaron Wallace, played with brusque brilliance by Nicholas Pinnock, is as resilient as the man on whose life he’s based, fighting for both his release and the release of other inmates, all while battling the day-to-day horrors of life behind bars.
Season 2 finds Wallace at a crossroads: take a plea deal from the dirty Attorney General candidate who locked you up in the first place? Or fight for exoneration?
The beloved Joy Bryant plays his estranged wife, fighting tooth and nail for his release while fighting her own demons. Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, who needs no introduction, both co-executive produces and stars in the show, playing the mysterious and duplicitous Cassius Dawkins.
This show has both spiritual and tonal links to ‘The Wire,’ another show that delved into the gritty realities of corrupt government and Black life. It also features some of the shows most-popular actors, Hassan Johnson, and John Doman.
I sat down (virtually) with the show’s stars to talk about where season 2 is headed, the poignance of this story in 2020 and beyond, and the power of music throughout.
Jackson summed up the show’s message most powerfully: ‘The most expensive thing we have is time. You can’t get it back, man.’
Tune in tonight for the premiere!