A string of fate brought Serayah and Tyler Lepley together to star in the bible-inspired love story “Ruth & Boaz.”
The casting process for the Netflix movie was nearing its end, and the filmmakers still hadn’t settled on who would play the central couple, whose story is often used as a model for faith and love. That’s when producer DeVon Franklin decided to ask Serayah to audition for the role of Ruth. He was already familiar with her acting and singing talents from producing the BET+ series “Kingdom Business,” a drama in which she starred, set in the gospel music industry.
“The moment she auditioned, it was like ‘There’s Ruth,’” Franklin told Variety. “But we didn’t know who Boaz was going to be.”
The filmmakers watched hundreds of actors’ auditions and settled on a handful of finalists, he recalled. “Then, at the 11th hour, Tyler Lepley sent in his self-tape. And we were like, ‘There’s Boaz,’” Franklin said. “We did a chemistry read [with Serayah], and it was just magic.”
As fate would have it, the actors had recently wrapped making a movie together, the upcoming horror film “Goons,” before reuniting for these roles. “It was a beautiful thing for them to have this type of chemistry, to have already worked together and now get the chance to bring this classic love story to the big screen,” Franklin said, acknowledging the divine alignment at play. “It was just amazing how it came together.”
Serayah and Tyler Lepley in “Ruth & Boaz.”
Netflix
“Ruth & Boaz,” now streaming on Netflix, puts a modern spin on the bible story and centers on rising hip-hop artist Ruth Moably (Serayah), who gives up her promising music career and leaves Atlanta after a heated dispute with her manager results in the death of her boyfriend. In hopes of a fresh start, Ruth moves to a rural city in Tennessee, where she cares for her late boyfriend’s widowed mother, Naomi (Phylicia Rashad). Ruth takes on a new job working in a local vineyard, where she meets Boaz (Lepley), a winemaker, and begins to fall in love, rediscovering her passion for music in the process.
Serayah, who is also a music artist, was surprised by some of the parallels she shared with Ruth. She said that Ruth finding her voice, speaking up and stepping out on faith are similar to the experiences she’s had to navigate in the music industry.
“Falling in love is also a parallel in my real life,” Serayah said. “You never know where things are going to lead you. When you’re open enough to receive and let your guard down, you realize you have to stop fighting yourself. I have to stop fighting divinity. I have to give in. There’s something beautiful on the other side of that.”
Set against the backdrop of Atlanta’s music scene, “Ruth & Boaz” included cameo appearances from industry powerhouses Jermaine Dupri, Yung Joc and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. In fact, the R&B maestro Babyface wrote, recorded and produced a song for the film, titled “Faithful,” which Serayah performs onscreen.
The collaboration was Serayah’s first time working with the 13-time Grammy winner, and she admitted she was a little terrified to work with the high-profile artist. “I didn’t want to fan girl too much and make him uncomfortable, but I’m like, ‘You wrote this?’ It’s a beautiful record,” Serayah said, with a laugh. “It was amazing,” Serayah said about working with the 13-time Grammy winner for the first time. “His voice is angelic. It sounds just like the records. He’s just so poised, grounded, easy to talk to and create with.”
And, for the record, she’d love to collaborate again. “That would be a dream come true,” Serayah said at the suggestion that they make another track.
Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds in “Ruth & Boaz.”
Netflix
Unlike Serayah, who said she was familiar with the bible story before starring in the film, Lepley was introduced to Ruth and Boaz once he signed on to the project. While he might not have been as well-versed on the ins and outs of their story, the actor said he isn’t a stranger to having his faith tested. Just like Boaz, he has also faced challenges where relying on his faith was his only option.
“For the most part, my faith hasn’t wavered,” Lepley explained. “But we’re human. You’re going to go up. You’re going to go down. I feel like I have it figured out, then I don’t. All we have is God at the end of the day.”
Directed by Alanna Brown, “Ruth & Boaz” marks the first film that Tyler Perry and Franklin have produced under their first-look partnership with Netflix to bring more faith-based stories to the platform. Franklin, who is also a minister, was inspired to tell this particular Bible story after preaching a sermon series on singleness and relationships.
“As I was studying, it helped me understand what it means to be single and committed to service and a purpose greater than yourself,” Franklin said.
He also recognized that Ruth and Boaz’s tale had all the elements of a great movie. “This has romance. There’s some danger. There are great characters,” he explained. “I did some research, and I don’t think there’s ever been a modern version of the story of Ruth and Boaz. It felt like everything was aligning and that this was the right story to tell at the right time.”
While grief, faith and love are embedded throughout the film, the last of those themes is what Franklin hopes inspires viewers the most.
“Love is the most powerful force in the universe,” he said. “Love always wins. Stay open to love. When we’re open, love can go out and come in. If we have love, we have everything that we need.”
Serayah in “Ruth & Boaz.”
Netflix
Giana Levy
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