Jharrel Jerome | 'Unstoppable'

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert: Jharrel Jerome | 'Unstoppable'

Release Date: January 18, 2025

---

Introduction

In this captivating episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert welcomes the immensely talented Jharrel Jerome. Recognized for his stellar performances in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight and the critically acclaimed Netflix series When They See Us, Jerome now takes center stage in the upcoming film Unstoppable. The conversation dives deep into Jerome's acting journey, his latest project, and personal anecdotes that reveal the dedication and passion behind his craft.

---

Jharrel Jerome's Career Highlights

Jerome opens the discussion by reflecting on his notable roles. Stephen Colbert commends his impressive trajectory, stating:

"Your first film was in the Oscar winning Moonlight and Emmy for the Netflix series When They See Us. Now you're starring in a movie with Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle at the ripe old age of 27."
(01:06)

Jerome humbly acknowledges his success, sharing insights into his experiences transitioning between significant projects and the challenges he has overcome to reach his current standing in the film industry.

---

Discussing 'Unstoppable'

Unstoppable marks a pivotal point in Jerome's career, portraying Anthony Robles, a real-life NCAA wrestling champion born with one leg.

Casting and Collaboration

Jerome expresses his excitement about working alongside industry giants like Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle:

"I haven't told her this is gonna be awkward, but I'm pretty sure she was my screensaver for at least a month. So, yeah, I freaked out."
(05:37)

He humorously recounts the moment he learned Jennifer Lopez would portray his character's mother, highlighting his genuine admiration and initial surprise.

Character Portrayal and Training

Delving into the specifics of his role, Jerome explains the depth and dedication required to authentically portray Anthony Robles:

"Anthony is an incredible, incredible human being. He was born with one leg and decided to go into collegiate wrestling, and he became a monster on the mat. And he was undefeated his entire senior year, and he became an NCAA champion."
(06:17)

Stephen Colbert probes further into the physical demands of the role, to which Jerome elaborates on the rigorous training regimen:

"I've been in the gym a lot. More than I like."
(02:04)

Collaboration with Anthony Robles

A noteworthy aspect of the film is Jerome's collaboration with the real Anthony Robles, who serves as both his body double and stunt double:

"He not only was my body double, but he trained me as a wrestler and he got in the gym with me almost every day."
(06:44)

This partnership not only enhances the authenticity of Jerome's performance but also builds a profound mutual respect between the two.

---

Impact of COVID and Production Delays

Jerome candidly discusses the challenges faced during the production of Unstoppable, particularly the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent industry strikes.

"It's been a bit of a rocket ride."
(01:26)

He outlines the timeline:

"2019, you get cast and then Covid delays it. And then you guys come back and then I assume the strike delays it for a while."
(02:08)

The prolonged delays necessitated intense physical preparation over five years, a period Jerome describes with a mix of humor and frustration:

"I've been forced to be in shape for almost five Years now. Forced, forced."
(02:28)

Despite these hurdles, Jerome remains optimistic and committed to delivering a compelling performance.

---

Early Career and Education

Shifting focus to his formative years, Jerome shares a heartfelt narrative about his audition process for LaGuardia High School, a prestigious arts institution known for producing stars like Timothée Chalamet and Jennifer Aniston.

Audition Experience

Jerome paints a vivid picture of his audition day:

"The audition was about 1400 kids throughout the city, all five boroughs. And I'm from the Bronx, so I get on the train and I shout out bx. It was a nine hour audition, so I went through four different rooms."
(03:06)

He likens the experience to an American Idol audition, highlighting the intense competition and the emotional roller coaster of the process.

Monologue Preparation

Discussing the specifics, Jerome recounts the challenges of performing monologues without prior knowledge:

"At the time I did the monologues, I had no idea what a monologue was. My mom googled it and she was like, a monologue, you have to do a monologue."
(03:49)

He details the selection process for his monologue, emphasizing his dedication and the support from his mother:

"We practiced it together for a few weeks and I went into the audition and they accepted me into the school."
(04:15)

Personal Anecdotes

Jerome shares a touching memory of carrying a photograph of his mother for comfort during his freshman year:

"For me, having her in my back pocket felt. I don't know, it just made me feel safe."
(04:46)

This gesture underscores the foundational support that fueled his early ambitions and successes.

---

Personal Reflections and Insights

Throughout the conversation, Jerome reflects on his growth both personally and professionally. He acknowledges the influence of his upbringing in the Bronx and his Dominican heritage in shaping his identity and approach to acting.

"I'm from the Bronx. You know, I'm Dominican."
(05:37)

His gratitude towards his mentors and the real Anthony Robles showcases his humility and recognition of the collaborative nature of filmmaking.

---

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Jerome expressing his enthusiasm for Unstoppable and gratitude towards his fans and collaborators. Stephen Colbert wraps up the interview by promoting the film's availability on Prime Video, underscoring the seamless blend of humor and heartfelt conversation that characterizes The Late Show Pod Show.

Jerome's journey from a passionate auditioning teenager to a celebrated actor embodies the resilience and dedication required in the entertainment industry. His role in Unstoppable not only showcases his exceptional talent but also highlights his commitment to portraying stories that inspire and resonate.

---

Notable Quotes

• "I've been forced to be in shape for almost five Years now. Forced, forced." – Stephen Colbert
  (02:28)

• "Anthony is an incredible, incredible human being. He was born with one leg and decided to go into collegiate wrestling, and he became a monster on the mat." – Jharrel Jerome
  (06:17)

• "At the time I did the monologues, I had no idea what a monologue was. My mom googled it and she was like, a monologue, you have to do a monologue." – Stephen Colbert
  (03:49)

---

Final Thoughts

Jharrel Jerome's appearance on The Late Show Pod Show offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a dedicated actor navigating the complexities of the film industry. His candidness, combined with Stephen Colbert's insightful questions, provides listeners with a rich and engaging narrative that celebrates Jerome's achievements and anticipates his future successes in Unstoppable.

---

For more episodes and exclusive content, visit The Late Show YouTube channel.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

Welcome to Nadia Yada Island.

[Metro Ad Voice]

Next on Nadia Yada Island.

[Jerrel Jerome]

I knew I deserved so much more, so I left. I finally switched to Metro and got what I was looking for.

[Metro Ad Voice]

Get one line for only $25 a month with Autopay. Just bring your phone to Metro and experience all the data you want on the largest 5G network. That's nada. Yada yada. Only at Metro by T Mobile. First month is $30. Bring your number and ID offer. Not available if with T Mobile or with Metro. In the past 180 days, it's the.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Late Show Poncho with Stephen Colbert. Hey, welcome back everybody. Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest tonight made his film debut in the Academy Award winning film moonlight and won an Emmy for his performance in When They See Us. He now stars in Unstoppable. Please welcome to the Late Show. Jerrel, Jerome.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hello. Vax.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Lovely to meet you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Pleasure to meet you as well, Steve.

[Jerrel Jerome]

As I said, you debuted. Your first film was in the Oscar winning Moonlight Emmy for the Netflix series When they See Us. Now you're starring in a movie with Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle at the ripe old age of 27. And I just want you to know, as someone who was an actor when he was 27, I'm cool with your success.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, good.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

You don't feel any way at all.

[Jerrel Jerome]

My 27 year old self is very mad at you. But I am. I'm very happy for you. Thanks. What's this been like for you? It's a bit of a rocket ride.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, man. I mean, I'm on the Colbert show right now, so we'll start with that.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Excellent answer.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's a roller coaster, man. I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground. This film for me was five years in the making. I got cast in 2019, so it's the first time I've sort of experienced a project that sort of changed my life in every way. I played a wrestler who was born with one leg and so I had to get in the gym a lot. A lot.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

More than I like.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Okay, so 2019, you get cast and then Covid delays it.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's right.

[Jerrel Jerome]

And then you guys come back and then I assume the strike delays it for a while. Yes, yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

So 2020, we start training. Then we shut down for a year and a half. We come back, we train again for eight months, five days, a week, we start shooting for 10 days and then the writer strike starts.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jerrel Jerome]

So you've been forced to be in shape for almost five Years now. Forced, forced. Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

I've been paid to be in shape too.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Now you're from, you're home right now. You went to LaGuardia High School not too far from here. Yes, I did. Yes, I did. That's a prestigious arts high school with graduates like Timothee Chalamet and Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Aniston. I'm just curious, having not gone to one of those, do you have to audition to get in?

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, yeah.

[Jerrel Jerome]

OK. I didn't know.

[Stephen Colbert]

For 13 years old, it's the most intense thing I think I could have possibly done it.

[Jerrel Jerome]

13? Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

13? Yeah. Was it 13 yourself? Mad at me for that?

[Jerrel Jerome]

What, you're 13? No, I got you now. My 13 year old, my 13 year old self was playing Dungeons and Dragons.

[Stephen Colbert]

He was fun. The audition was about 1400 kids throughout the city, all five boroughs. And I'm from the Bronx, so I get on the train and I shout out bx. It was a nine hour audition, so I went through four different rooms. It was weird. It was almost like hallway a, I'm with 80 other kids. We do the audition. They're like, good, wait in hallway B. Hallway B, 80 more kids. Great. Hallway C. And that went on throughout the day until that 1400 turned into maybe 500, turned into 100, turned into 40 students left. And it was. I honestly felt like I was doing an American Idol audition.

[Jerrel Jerome]

But do you remember what you did? Like, did you have to do a monologue or something like that?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, I did. I had to do two monologues, a dramatic monologue and a comedic monologue. It's funny. At the time I did the monologues, I had no idea what a monologue was. My mom googled it and she was like, a monologue, you have to do a monologue. I'm like, ma, I think it's monologue. And that's just how coy I was. That's how green I was. But we practiced it together for a few weeks and I went into the audition and they accepted me into the school.

[Jerrel Jerome]

What was your dramatic audition? Do you remember?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, it was real deep. Honestly. It was about me confronting my best friend's mother at my best friend's funeral. Yeah.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Is that a true story?

[Stephen Colbert]

No, no, no, no.

[Jerrel Jerome]

But it was from a play or something.

[Stephen Colbert]

It was actually from a teenage monologue book. We were supposed to grab that.

[Jerrel Jerome]

That's how good of an actor you were. You sold me. Okay, now I understand. I love this. You kept this in your pocket the whole time you were there?

[Stephen Colbert]

My Freshman year.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Show me, show me.

[Stephen Colbert]

What's this?

[Jerrel Jerome]

Right there, There, Right there. Who's this?

[Stephen Colbert]

That is my mother. That is my beautiful mother. I did keep that in my pocket until I got to the age where I was like, why the hell is this in my pocket? But I just. You know, for me, I'm a kid from the Bronx, so eighth grade. Going to high school in the middle of the city was a big culture shock for me. And I was always nervous. I was always the kid in the back of the classroom. And so for me, having her in my back pocket felt. I don't know, it just made me feel safe. We took that picture on the day of my LaGuardia audition. Oh, wow.

[Jerrel Jerome]

So you didn't even know at this point?

[Stephen Colbert]

No, that was a selfie we took after I got out. And she said, I think you're gonna get in. Cause they kept you there all damn day, so most likely you're gonna get in.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Well, now, in the movie Unstoppable, your on screen mom is played by none other than Jennifer Lopez. Right there. How's it having J. Lo is your mom?

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, my goodness. Again, I'm gonna say it for the fifth time. I'm from the Bronx. You know, I'm Dominican. And so growing up, I'm pretty sure Jen was. I haven't told her this is gonna be awkward, but I'm pretty sure she was my screensaver for at least a month. So, yeah, I freaked out. I freaked out.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Sure, sure.

[Stephen Colbert]

And funny enough, I called my mom and I was like, guess who's playing my mom in the movie? She's like, first of all, she's like, who? Who? Who's gonna do me better than me? And I'm just like Jennifer Lopez. And she just. Shut up. She was just like, oh, that's fantastic. Yeah.

[Jerrel Jerome]

So what's. So, you know, tell me, who are you playing? What's the character?

[Stephen Colbert]

So I'm playing Anthony Robles.

[Jerrel Jerome]

A real person.

[Stephen Colbert]

Real person, yes. Anthony is an incredible, incredible human being. He is. He was born with one leg and decided to go into collegiate wrestling, and he became a monster on the mat. And he was undefeated his entire senior year, and he became an NCAA champion.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Here are the two of you together right there. There's the real Anthony. And I understand he also has a role in this film.

[Stephen Colbert]

He played my body double and my stunt double the entire way.

[Jerrel Jerome]

So the wrestling is him.

[Stephen Colbert]

The wrestling. A little bit of me.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Hey.

[Stephen Colbert]

A little bit of me, but a lot of him. Yeah, it was amazing. Often, you know, you might have a quick moment of time with them or you read a book or something. But he not only was my body double, but he trained me as a wrestler and he got in the gym with me almost every day.

[Jerrel Jerome]

And we have a scene here with you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, on the bench.

[Jerrel Jerome]

I'm not sure.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, I'm not.

[Jerrel Jerome]

And if I don't know and you don't know, why don't we discover it together?

[Stephen Colbert]

Jim, if I don't win, if I come in second, for the rest of my life, I'll be telling everybody that I came this close. And they'll listen, they'll smile. But for the rest of my life, everyone will just feel a bit sorry for me. But coach, if I win, having one leg won't be the most important thing about me. I'm running out of time to be someone.

[Jerrel Jerome]

Unstoppable. Is out now on Prime Video. Jerrel Jerome, everybody. Thank you for listening to the late show pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to head to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. I don't want to get promoted. I want to stay charmingly insubordinate. I'm okay. Now streaming. Let's do this. Am I catching it? Now prepare for an adventure.

[Metro Ad Voice]

I know these guys.

[Jerrel Jerome]

They're super nice. Hey, what's up, my man? Five seasons in the making. Woo.

[Stephen Colbert]

God damn it. This is terrible.

[Jerrel Jerome]

This keeps getting cooler. By the way of a second Star Trek lower decks. Final season, now streaming.