Netflix’s Doing Life Cast And Characters Guide

Director Tyler Perry’s mastery in highlighting the living experience of working class African Americans, by blending realism and a combined dose of melodrama and morality, is quite understated. His latest Netflix original, “Doing Life”, bears a testament to this by seamlessly blending themes of redemption, trauma, family ties, and survival to present a moving, heart-warming social drama. Aside from the deft writing, one of the USPs of the movie is its characterization, as Perry maintains a good balance between sentimentality and grounded elements to make his characters feel more relatable.

Anika Played By Naomi Baker 

Actor Naomi Baker has previously acted in sci-fi short, “Club Alli”, in the series, “All American: Homecoming” and in the movie, “A Lifeguard’s Obsession”. In “Doing Life”, she plays Anika, a single mother who left her job as a prison officer after suffering from a traumatic experience during a prison riot. Despite being the youngest member of her family, Anika shoulders more responsibilities than her elder sisters, juggling between her role as a caregiver to both her newborn child and ailing, bedridden mother. As someone who has been abandoned, betrayed by the partner she trusted, Anika struggles to open up or put her faith in others. As a strong willed, tenacious woman who has sacrificed much for the sake of her family, Anika betrays her own dreams and loses herself amidst all the burdens. Having to prioritise survival and hope for stability over any other considerations, Anika appears to be someone who has long forgotten any concept of self-love. 

This is where her chemistry with Carousel works the best, as he sees Anika not as someone who needs to sympathize with, but as someone who inspires him to fight harder in his day to day life. Anika sees Carousel as the talented individual he is, not as the ex-con, although her family members’ apprehensions sometimes creep inside her mind. Without being expressive, Anika’s quiet strength helps Carousel to persevere against every odds, and prove himself to those who doubted his intentions. At certain points of time, Anika’s maternal emotions come clashing with the love she feels for Carousel, and fear of past repeating itself makes her doubt him as well. However, in the end Anika chooses to assess him for the man he is without subscribing to generalizations, and finds the much deserved happiness with him at long last. 

Carousel Played By Jay Reeves

Actor Jay Reeves has previously acted in series like “Crowded,” “All American” and in movies like “The Tax Collector,” “Safety,” “The Six Triple Eight”. In “Doing Life”, he plays Carousel, an ex-con who is trying to turn a new page in life and gets romantically involved with Anika. As someone who didn’t experience parental love while growing up, and didn’t have emotional maturity to choose right from wrong, Carousel got himself influenced by the wrong crowd at an early age. As a result, he gave in to violent tendencies and had to spend his entire adolescent year behind the bars. However, not letting his dark past define who he is, Carousel chose the right path by opting for self-improvement. From growing a passion for drawing, to learning law to help fellow inmates, Carousel showed time and again that the journey to reformation begins with personal growth. In fact, when he saves a pregnant Anika during the prison riot, he doesn’t believe the act to be his shot at redemption, instead it’s a reflection of his strong morale and reformed conscience. 

However, for people like Carousel, for people of colour, the world doesn’t offer retribution even after subjecting them through the harshest of punishments life has to offer. He is judged, belittled time and again by others even after showing his honesty and goodwill. The notoriety of being an ex-con is so stigmatising that even Anika, who recognized him for the talented, kindhearted person he is, doubts his intentions for a brief while. But Carousel once again shows his mettle by not giving in to negative instincts, instead he lets his integrity do the talking and in the end, wins at life. 

Cathy Played By Tamberla Perry

Actor/writer, Tamberla Perry has previously acted in series like “APB,” “The Tam and Kevin Show” and in the movie, “They Cloned Tyrone”. In “Doing Life”, she plays Cathy, Anika’s terminally ill, bedridden mother who is extremely dismissive of her choice of having a relationship with Carousel, an ex-con. Cathy herself has suffered profusely for her wrong choice in men, and seeing her daughter has once gone down the same path, she wants her to opt for wiser choices. Cathy’s bitter, borderline hateful approach towards Carousel is the result of her overprotectiveness towards Anika, and fear of betrayal. As someone who has been wronged by the system, her close ones, Cathy’s repressed anger is reflected by her choice of words even though in her heart, she means well. In fact, her strength of character has been inherited by Anika, her youngest, who has learned how to persevere against impossible odds from her mother. 

Miscellaneous Characters 

Aside from the main characters, “Doing Life” boasts of a strong ensemble of supporting cast who did well with the roles they were given. Karen Obilom plays Trina, Anika’s eldest, vindictive sister, and Jasmine Sargent plays Lisa, Anika’s second eldest sister. 

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