“There was an opportunity for me to embrace an identity that is yet to be seen or hasn’t been seen for a very long time on a big screen. And that’s the Black father in a positive light.” — Kevin Hart What does it mean to be a Black father? Netflix’s Fatherhood is a feel-good movie based on the book, Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love by Matthew Logelin—a white dad. The film stars Kevin Hart (as Matt Logelin), who following the death of his wife (after the birth of their daughter), must learn how to become a “father.” Hart is joined by Alfre Woodard (Marion), Lil Rel Howery (Jordan) and DeWanda Wise (Liz Swan) and Melody Hurd (Maddy), among others. In real life, Kevin Hart is a father to four children, so he certainly nailed the dad-thing in the film. But, what immediately struck me, upon watching the film, is that Hart was joined by a very unambiguously Black cast (especially his wife, child and love interest). It was chocolate city. I felt seen. Kevin Hart brought nuance to a conversation about what it means to be a Black father—after all, the struggle is never easy. While the comedian says that he didn’t intent to make the film about race, he did use it as a moment to create a what he describes as a new portrayal of Black fatherhood. “There was an opportunity for me to embrace an identity that is yet to be seen or hasn’t been seen for a very long time on a big screen. And that’s the Black father in a positive light,” Hart told The Root. See our conversation with actors Kevin Hart, Lil Rel Howery and DeWanda Wise above. Fatherhood is available Netflix, Friday, June 18.