How Jharrel Jerome Evolved Into a Grown Man While Making Sports Drama ‘Unstoppable’

Jharrel Jerome rubbed his chin while recalling a phone call with college wrestling champ Anthony Robles. The conversation occurred four years ago as Jerome was preparing to play Robles in the film “Unstoppable” (opening Dec. 6).

“Covid had shut us down in pre-production, and I was giving Anthony words of encouragement that we would tell his story,” Jerome told TheWrap. “I made this promise and told him, ‘As long as I have this baby face on me, I’m going to play you in this movie. Even if I’m 35 years old, I’ll age down.’ And I meant it. When you get to know Anthony, stuff like this becomes really personal.”

Jerome, the star of “I’m a Virgo” and “When They See Us,” was true to his promise and even finished “Unstoppable” before his 30s (He turned 27 in October). Based on Robles’ own sports memoir, the movie traces his journey from high school to college, where he wrestled for Arizona State and won the 2011 NCAA Championships.

Robles was supported by his selfless mom Judy (played by Jennifer Lopez) and siblings while standing up to his violent stepfather (Bobby Cannavale). The film’s powerful domestic scenes, in a lucky twist of scheduling, were filmed before production shut down due to the 2023 industry strikes. 

That gave Jerome even more time to work on the grueling nature of the role. Robles is a “beast on the wrestling mat,” as the actor said. He also has one leg.

“Which is like the 15th most important thing about him,” Jerome noted. “I already knew from reading his book that it wasn’t a story about disability. But I felt it even more after spending time with him. Within a few minutes of meeting Anthony, you don’t even see the crutches, and that’s because he’s in full control of his movement. So I couldn’t wobble around like I sprained my ankle two weeks ago. I needed to move so smoothly that I could be mistaken for Anthony.”

The training regimen was the most intense physical challenge of Jerome’s life. In addition to practicing on the crutches, an average day included weightlifting with a trainer; wrestling with a coach to learn specific choreography and also how to slide on one knee and use his fist as an extra leg like Robles did; and long sessions with a movement and posture coach.

“I have a very hunched-over, New York way of sitting down,” the Bronx native said. “But Anthony’s posture is like a Martini glass, centered and upright.”

Then came an hour of work with a dialect coach to master Robles’ laid-back Southwestern speaking voice. And in between all that, he’d eat: Jerome consumed 4,000 calories a day, heavy on grilled chicken, rice, potatoes and avocado, in order to gain weight while reducing his BMI by 12%.

“I wasn’t a gym rat before I started this,” he said. “And my whole work ethic increased dramatically during this project. I mean, I want the leading roles, and I want my physique to help me enter that world. It goes way beyond me just getting in the gym, but the work has helped me move from the boy you’ve seen on screen to a grown man dealing with life.”

The child inside is still an asset for Jerome, though. For all the physicality in the movie, “Unstoppable” gains power from his frequent closeups, which subtly reveal the vulnerability and delicacy of Anthony’s human character. William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor (“Argo”) making his directorial debut, explained that this intuitive quality makes Jerome so special as an actor.

“Nine times out of 10, when I had a note for Jharrel, we’d do another take and he’d do exactly what I’d been thinking of anyway,” Goldenberg said. “It was crazy. I thought he was reading my mind at a certain point.” 

In addition to his maturation as an actor, Jerome has grown in the public eye. His first feature role was in “Moonlight” as the poignant school friend of the film’s protagonist in its middle act.

He was at the Oscars when “Moonlight” won Best Picture in 2017, after a colossal envelope gaffe. “If you watch on YouTube, you see me and I’m just crying because that was such an out-of-body experience,” Jerome shared. “I was still living with my mom and dad and sisters in the Bronx and went to the Oscars in a suit that I had to give back the next day. It was like an incredible fever dream.” 

Two-and-a-half years later, he was onstage solo at the Emmys, winning Best Actor for Ava DuVernay’s limited series “When They See Us,” about the Central Park Five. Jerome played Korey Wise from the age of 16 to 28. “When I won, I almost burst into tears, for sure. But it’s interesting, the evolution I’d experienced,” he said. “I didn’t cry. I was a few years older and more grounded and was growing into the person I wanted to become.”

He added, “And if I get to be on an awards stage again, God willing, watch me then. I’m continuing to evolve.”

This story first appeared in the Race Begins issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the issue here.

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