Award-Winning Actor Lela Elam and James Pierre Join Cast of Ladouceur’s ‘The Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story
MIAMI – Multitalented actress Lela Elam and charismatic, well-known performer James Pierre have been added to the cast of the upcoming film, “The Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story.” Elam and Pierre will join Genji Jacques, the actor dubbed the Haitian Denzel Washington, the dynamic Sandra Justice, Haitian icon Marie Michelle Desrosier and the talented Ayomi Russell.
Samuel Ladouceur (“A Great Day in Harlem,” “Power,” “Boardwalk Empire”) is at the helm as the director.
The plot, written by prolific screenwriter Harry Jeudy (“A Great Day in Harlem”) and acclaimed author Yanatha Desouvre (“Revelations: Roads to Redemption,” one of the top downloaded e-books in April 2020 in the African American, mystery thriller and suspense fiction categories on Amazon.com) follows a loving marriage of 25 years that comes to a deadly end when a husband is compelled to tell his wife his most heart-shattering secret while she is on her deathbed.
Inspired by true events, “The Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story” is a compelling and provocative love story. It’s set in Haiti and is haunted by human trafficking and gun violence.
Elam will play Sheila Goodman, a sought-out attorney in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She has high expectations for her son and family. Her no-nonsense persona makes her a formidable force that may be often misunderstood.
Pierre will play Jean-Luc Donsalvo, a brilliant information technology professional with exceptional emotional intelligence. Jean-Luc is also Lucias Goodman’s best friend and the godfather to Lucias’s son, Grayson.
“The Sweetest Girl: A Forbidden Love Story” is part of the second book from the Goodman Chronicles series, “Revelations: Roads to Redemption.” It uses familiar characters from the 2018 novel that explores the characters’ unique emotional journeys.
The storylines of complex, interwoven characters will navigate through larger themes of human connection: guilt, redemption, love and hope.
Virtual auditions are still being accepted for the roles of Young Lucias and Grayson Goodman. Email Rachel Finley at sweetestgirlshortfilm@gmail.
Elam is a familiar face on the South Florida stage and beyond. She has won the coveted Carbonell Award for Best Actress twice. Elam has starred on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN in “David Makes Man,” on USA Network in “Graceland,” as well as “Bloodline” on Netflix, and as Diane From Toledo on TBS’s “Wrecked.” She is a seven-time Carbonell Awards, Inc. nominee and a two-time winner of the award for Best Actress for her work in GableStage‘s “In The Continuum,” and also for GableStage’s production of “Ruined.”
Pierre is an award-winning journalist, actor and model. He’s been director of photography in television shows like “Food Wars” (Travel Channel) and for the finale promo of “Lost” (ABC). He has produced more than a thousand ads for corporations and government institutions. Among them are the FCC, Make U.S.A. Beautiful, Simple Mobile, Humana, Naca, South Florida Workforce, CAC Care, Care Plus, and Tele Pluriel.
Pierre has been featured in movies like “Deep Pain (Kè Chire). He’s appeared on Fox Sports’ Super Bowl LIV promo/commercial “NFL Introduction of the Players” with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and the NFL Award ceremony with Steve Harvey.
He has appeared in Telemundo projects, an AutoNation commercial and in a “Mission Cooling” commercial with Dwyane Wade and Serena Williams. He has also appeared on Kay Jewelry and FPL commercials. Pierre can also be seen on ESPN, CNN en español, RT America, NBC 6, CBS 4, Mega TV and Mira TV.
Pierre is also a philanthropist who speaks English, French, Spanish and Creole.
Jeudy, who is also a poet, has more than a decade of experience in English, African and African American literature. He is the founder and principal owner of Backdoor Entertainment LLC.
Ladouceur has worked on countless short films, major films and television shows such as “Person of Interest,” “Unstoppable,” “Power” and “Boardwalk Empire.” In 2018, he directed and produced the short film, “A Great Day in Harlem,” which is currently airing in major markets nationally on ABC, Fox, CBS and other network affiliates. He is the founder of LA PhiLA Productions and the vice president of Backdoor Entertainment LLC.
Desouvre is a best-selling Amazon.com author, educator and public speaker. His latest novella, “Revelations: Roads to Redemption,” pays homage to Wyclef Jean’s discography. He is also the author of the 2016 novella “To Whom Much is Given,” the first of the Goodman Chronicles series.
Desouvre has been featured in various print publications, including The New York Daily News, Miami Herald, Miami New Times, Haitian Times, Sentinel HT, HuffPost and Black Enterprise, and on television outlets that include South Florida PBS, NBC and ABC.
