Directors Guild of America (DGA) member, Eddie Griffith announces his web series KEN, starring Jarret Janako and Krystal Farris, will hit the small screen this week.
KEN, brings front-and-center the issues of sex, salvation and secrets for a millennial African-American man living in Brooklyn, who has feelings for two very different people.
KEN is the story of a late twenty-something African-American man struggling with a second coming of age. Webisode #1 opens with “Ken” bringing to bare his internal fight to maintain an outward devotion to Christianity, while battling questions about his sexuality.
“This is a story that so many live but is primarily spoken in hushed, fearful tones,” says writer and director, Eddie Griffith. “I wrote KEN because I was not seeing the African-American perspective on homosexuality and Christianity.
A lack of diversity in programming, especially faith-based, drove me to tell this story.” With a meticulous nature during production, Griffith brings multi-dimensional characters, real world storylines and witty dialogue to this exciting web series. The character “Ken” is complicated in the framework of Don Draper (“Mad Men”) and Walter White (“Breaking Bad”).
Lead actor, Janako says, “Eddie really did an amazing job making this an eye-opening and thought-provoking project viewable for everyone.” Lead actress, Krystal Farris agrees, “Eddie is an incredibly gifted director who has courageously chosen to bring this piece to life.
It’s a story for the world and I am thrilled to have been part of the journey.” The strength of the webseries is that each character is written with in-your-face honesty when dealing with Christianity and homosexuality.
No one group is vilified or afforded sainthood which makes it highly relatable. I want to tell stories of populations you rarely see in front of the camera or in the front pews of church,” said Griffith. KEN is the voice of men and women who are silently working out their own salvation and secrets.”
Janako stars as “Ken” and is joined by Farris as his love interest, “Stephanie.” Rounding out the cast are Yarc Lewison as “Paul” Ken’s bestfriend, Lee-Ann Rose as Paul’s wife “Jessica” and Travon McCall as “Duke.”
Ken will be featured on MySoCalledGayLife.co.uk from this week.
