We Sat Down With Jharrel Jerome To Discuss Representation, Role Models, And His New Film "Unstoppable"

You say you want your roles to be challenging and you want them to push you, but you have to give a lot to these roles. I haven't watched anything you’ve done that hasn’t made me cry, so I can’t imagine how you’re feeling.

Jharrel: Haha I need to change that up!

Just do a cheeky little rom-com maybe! But aren't you emotionally exhausted; these are great roles, but I can imagine it’s a lot for you.

Jharrel: I am exhausted for sure. I am emotionally exhausted and this role allowed me to be physically exhausted, but through that exhaustion and through that mental work and that pain I’ve grown so much. It’s allowed me even in my regular life, my personal life, to understand situations a bit better and be more self-aware, set my boundaries and understand other people's boundaries. That all came from digging into memories of mine or finding certain emotions that I don't like to show but I gotta show. I think that’s the beauty of acting though – art imitates life, we’re all emotional beings and so it’s like being able to actually do that but I do want to do a romcom though, just chill and actually keep my beard.

I love that you said that you’re growing with every single role, and you’re tapping into a new emotion, new memories, or even creating new realities. With this role in particular, Antony Robles’ story is so inspiring, what part of his story inspired you the most?

Jharrel: I would say his willpower, his mental drive. The reason we’re inspired by it is not just because he won, it’s because of how incredibly militant he was and how he persevered through everything. I can't complain about nothing anymore, like if I'm too tired and I don't wanna go to the gym I think of Anthony. I think “Well, would he be tired and I go to the gym?” He probably would be tired but he would still make it there. I trained with him for seven months, five days a week. I got to see his grit and his determination and I just want to take that and apply it to all aspects of my life. That sort of grit, that determination, that willpower, and the idea that I really can't be stopped.

And it was also the headspace to always overcome whatever society has said you must be, where you fit in this box. 

Jharell: Exactly.

So how do you ensure that live your life past the expectations of what society expects of you as a young Black man?

Jharrel: Just sticking to my word. Believing in me first. I have a lot of crutches in my life, my mother, friends, and even people on my team that I really truly care about and trust but at the end of the day, I have to trust in me first. That sounds a little selfish but it’s allowed me to be this selective and for you to compliment me the way you did in the beginning and say like “bang, bang, bang” – I’ve said being selective and saying no can be risky. Life moves on, finances and all these things exist so it’s a risk game to be like “no, no, no” but because I believe in myself it allows me to be in a room like this at the right times and in the right places, so I like just sticking to my word. That sounds like a cocky answer.

Not really!

Jharrel: Phew okay!

If you don’t trust and believe in yourself, then who’s going to trust and believe in you? You have got to be your own number-one fan before you get another. 

A part that made me cry in the film – without giving any spoilers – is the scene where we’re looking at role models. I know you’ve spoken in the past about your role models being your parents and Denzel Washington, but what makes the perfect role model to you? And do you think you have that right now for younger actors, younger generations that look to you?

Jharrel: Oh man, that’s a good question, you have great questions! I think what makes a role model is being able to let go of all pride and ego for the sake of teaching and benefiting the people under you or trying to learn from you. It’s knowing that you’ve excelled in your craft, but you put that away and go back to form and you go back to square one with the people around you. I think that’s a true role model. It’s hard to relate to people who feel detached from the world. Some people have made it and it’s like even though you were in great movies and you were a great actor, how did you feed the people around you? And that really is by taking off the masks and allowing people to see your vulnerability. 

My mom is still my role model for that exact reason, she’s never sugar-coated anything to me since I was a child and I respect that so much. She has so much weight – just like Judy in the film – so much weight, she’s been through so much, she had me at a very young age, in a very toxic environment and I never knew. You could have never told me my mom was stressed or anything. She was able to take off and put away everything for me, so I hope to do that for somebody, but I think I have more work to do to become a role model and I need to get out of my own head and my own to become a role model because I feel like I don’t say enough. I’m so quiet you don’t even know. 

But I don’t think you always need to be vocal because people are just watching you.

Jharrel: Yeah that’s true.

And to what you’ve said you take so much pride in everything you do, you’re not just following the money train, you’re choosing your projects carefully. Somebody is watching and is like "I want to make sure I’m picking my next steps as carefully as Jharrel".

Jharrel: I love that.

I’m sure some people are looking up to you right now.

Jharrel: I love that, I guess, sure I’m somebody's role model.

Another part of the film I could relate to was feeling and being othered. Outside of Anthony’s disability, he was also the only dark-skinned Black person in his household. How do you push past that constant nagging feeling of not belonging? And did you learn anything more about overcoming that from this film?

Jharrel: Yeah, I mean my best answer is that kind of answer I said before: just truly believing in you, and believing in your purpose. And it’s also about leaning on others as well. Judy was truly Anthony’s crutch – no pun intended – she truly was the reason for his perseverance, not just the gym and the weights and the wrestling and the sport that he found that he excelled at, but his mother was there to anchor him. If you're ever feeling displaced it's really just about going within yourself, believing in your purpose, believing that you're supposed to be here and if you're lucky enough to have somebody there to give you that little push that little support then you’re going.

I’m doing The Graham Norton Show tonight and I’m terrified. I’m going to be sitting on the couch with people I’ve looked up to for years and I’m really really scared, and for the next two to three hours I just have to keep telling myself I’m supposed to be here, I was meant to be here and that is enough. 

If you needed somebody else to tell you, you deserve to be on that Graham Norton couch.

Jharrel: You see, I needed you on my side!

Don’t ever worry about it – you deserve to be on that couch, you are an incredible talent and you have a fabulous career ahead of you.