A series of fates brought together Seraya and Tyler Repley to appear in the Bible-inspired love story “Ruth & Boaz.”
The casting process for Netflix films is nearing its end, and the filmmakers have yet to resolve who will play the central couple. At that time, producer Devon Franklin decides to ask Celaya to audition for Ruth’s role. He was already familiar with her acting and singing talents, as he produced the BET+ series “Kingdom Business,” the drama she starred in.
“The moment she auditioned, it was like, ‘There’s Ruth,'” Franklin told Variety. “But I didn’t know who Boaz was going to be.”
Filmmakers watched auditions for hundreds of actors and settled into a handful of finalists, he recalled. “Then, in the 11th hour, Tyler Repley sent him a self-tape and we were saying, ‘We have Boaz,'” Franklin said. “We read chemistry (with Seraya) and it was just magic.”
As destined, the actors recently wrapped up making a film together, the upcoming horror film “Goon” before reuniting these roles. “It was beautiful to see them have this type of chemistry and have the opportunity to work together and bring this classic love story to the big screen,” Franklin acknowledged the sacred alignment of the play. “It was amazing how it came together.”
Celaya and Tyler Repley from “Ruth & Boaz.”
Netflix
Currently streaming on Netflix, Ruth & Boaz puts a contemporary spin on biblical stories, focusing on hip-hop artist Ruth Moably (Serayah). Hoping for a fresh start, Ruth moves to a rural Tennessee city where he cares about Naomi (Philicia Rashad), the widowed mother of her boyfriend, who died. Ruth takes on a new job working at a local vineyard, where he meets winemaker Boaz (Repley), and begins to fall in love, rediscovering his passion for music in the process.
Celaya, who is also a music artist, was surprised by some of the similarities she shared with Ruth. She said that finding out, speaking up and stepping into her faith was similar to the experiences she had to navigate in the music industry.
“Fall in love is parallel in my real life,” Celaya said. “You never know where things will lead you. When you are open enough to take your vigilance and defeat it, you realize you have to stop fighting yourself. I have to stop fighting divinity. I have to give in.
Set against the backdrop of the Atlanta music scene, “Ruth & Boaz” included cameo appearances from industry powerhouses Jermaine Dupri, Yung Joc and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. In fact, R&B Maestro Babyface wrote, recorded and produced songs for a film titled “Faithful” in which Serayas plays on screen.
The collaboration was the first time that Celaya has worked with a 13-time Grammy Award winner, and she admitted that working with a well-known artist is a bit scary. “I’m a fan of girls so much that I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but I thought, ‘Did you write this?’ It’s a beautiful record,” Celaya said with a laugh. “It was amazing,” Celaya said of working with the 13-time Grammy Award winner for the first time. “His voice is an angel. It sounds like a record. He’s so calm, grounded, easy to talk and create.”
And for the record, she wants to work together again. “It’s going to make a dream come true,” Celaya said on the suggestion of creating another truck.
Kenny “Baby Face” Edmonds from “Ruth & Boaz.”
Netflix
Unlike Celaya, who said she was familiar with biblical stories before appearing in the film, Repley was introduced to Ruth and Boaz when she signed on to the project. He may not have been familiar with the inside and outside of their stories, but the actor said he was not a stranger to test his faith. Like Boaz, he also faces the challenge of relying on his faith as his only option.
“In most cases, my faith did not waver,” explained Repley. “But we are humans. You go up. You are going down. I feel like I understand that, then I won’t.
Director Alana Brown’s “Ruth & Boaz” marks the first film Tyler Perry and Franklin produced under their first look partnership with Netflix, bringing more faith-based stories to the platform. Franklin, who is also a pastor, was inspired by telling this particular biblical story after preaching a series of sermons on singleness and relationships.
“When I was studying, it helped me understand what it means to be single and to be in service and commit to a greater purpose than I am,” Franklin said.
He also realized that the story of Ruth and Boaz has all the elements of a great film. “There’s romance to this. There’s danger. There’s great characters,” he explained. “I did some research and I don’t think there was a modern version of the Ruth and Boaz story. Everything felt like it was aligned and this was the right story to tell at the right time.”
Sadness, faith and love are embedded throughout the film, but the end of those themes is that Franklin wants to inspire viewers the most.
“Love is the most powerful force in the universe,” he said. “Love always wins. It remains open for love. When we are open, love can go out and enter. If we have love, we have everything we need.”
Seraya from “Ruth & Boaz”.
Netflix
