Chris “Ludacris” Bridges has said he hopes his TV show encourages children to “celebrate each other’s similarities and each other’s differences” thanks to the wide variety of characters in the animated series.
After finding success as rapper and musician Ludacris, Bridges moved into film, starring in the Fast And Furious franchise before creating Karma’s World – a children’s Netflix show.
Karma’s World follows a young girl named Karma Grant – inspired by Bridges’ own daughter – who dreams of becoming a rapper.
Speaking ahead of the release of series two of Karma’s World, Bridges, 44, told the PA news agency how important he feels “inclusion” is in the show.
He said: “The inclusion and people being able to identify themselves around the world no matter where they’re at.
“You know, and I think it’s great because that’s the world that we live in today. And it’s reality, and it’s when people are taught to love one another, celebrate each other’s similarities and each other’s differences.”
The first series of Karma’s World was released on Netflix in October 2021 and hit the top 10 on Netflix Kids in 42 countries.
As a result of its varied cast and diverse storylines, Karma’s World received nominations for three National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) Awards in the US.
The NAACP awards honour outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music and literature.
Bridges spoke about how his daughter – also named Karma – influenced the eponymous character in the show and how her life experiences crop up in Karma’s World storylines.
He told PA: “I knew that if it happened with her, it could happen to children worldwide, and to share some of the stories and the experiences that she went through that I know other kids go through as well. That’s why people, I feel, are loving the show so much.”
Storylines from the show’s first series include 10-year-old Karma grappling with liking and understanding her name and its meaning, as well as learning to love her afro hair.
Bridges explained that prior to creating the show’s storylines he sits down with Karma, 20, to discuss how they should be presented to ensure they are as relatable and realistic as possible.
He said: “You know, just to get the memories and try to get as close to what happened in real life as possible. And we, you know, we corroborate the stories and make sure that we remember all the details and then put it into this show.”
In the Netflix hit, Karma is voiced by actress Asiahn Bryant while Bridges is the voice of Karma’s on-screen father Conrad Grant.
After the success of series one, Bridges said that he is particularly nervous for the release of series two because he is “delivering more of what everybody already loves”.
“A wise man once said when you stop becoming nervous that means you stop caring.
“So absolutely I’m nervous, but in a good way because I know we’re delivering more of what everybody already loves, and I can’t wait to just get it out to the world because we work so hard on it,” he said.
Series two of Karma’s World is released on Netflix on March 10.
