The actor apologizes, saying hes a little run down after a quick trip to Miami with friends.
But as soon as we start talking about his starring role inIm a Virgo, Jerome absolutely lights up.
In the first meeting, he brought figurines to show you how he wanted to shoot.
Jharrel Jerome in ‘I’m A Virgo’.Pete Lee/Prime Video
Tell us about that conversation what kind of questions did you have for Boots about Cootie?
JHARREL JEROME:Boots brought the whole nine yards to that meeting when he showed up.
But when you think of a bold concept, you start to question everything around it.
Illustration by Dan Evans
How are you going to do it?
What does it require on my end?
He was going to do a lot of magic in terms of the body as opposed to the computer.
Carmen Ejogo and Jharrel Jerome in ‘I’m a Virgo’.Courtesy of Prime Video
That excited me fewer special effects, not too much CGI.
He looked at me like, It’s not going to be easy.
Not for you, not for me, or anybody involved.
Jharrel Jerome in ‘I’m a Virgo’.Courtesy of Prime Video
You love a challenge.
I love a challenge!
It’s why I’m very specific with the roles I take.
Jharrel Jerome in ‘I’m a Virgo’.Courtesy of Prime Video
Courtesy of Prime Video
What was that adjustment process like?
It’s a trust game.
That’s what it becomes.
Elijah Wood in ‘I’m a Virgo’.Courtesy of Prime Video
Boots really was so adamant about the cast bonding off-set, and that helped a ton.
The real-life bonding that we did was able to translate very well onto set.
A lot of the show took place in Cooties room.
Olivia Washington and Jharrel Jerome in ‘I’m a Virgo’.Courtesy of Prime Video
Youd be very confused.
They all have earpieces in, and I have an earpiece in.
The earpiece is just for dialogue the rest is all pretending that we are all in the same room.
Jharrel Jerome and Olivia Washington in ‘I’m a Virgo’.Courtesy of Prime Video
For them, they’re looking up at different eye lines.
Do you recall the very first thing you shot?
Oh yes, I do remember wow!
Donald Glover, Ron Perlman, and Maya Erskine in ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’.David Lee/Prime Video
It was the scene where Jones was getting the protesters together.
She’s drawing signs, and Cootie comes in.
I think we started around episode five or six.
In every way it helped.
When you’re placed in the environment, it’s almost like you’re Method acting without trying.
You’re in the world and you have the tool with you to pull from.
Heather Gay, Jonathan Van Ness, Reba McEntire, and RuPaul.Bravo; NBC; Netflix; MTV
[Laughs] The set that they built, it was amazing.
My iPhone was the size of my pinky.
The plates were small.
‘Top Chef’ season 21 cast.Bravo/ Stephanie Diani
There was a caterer on set just making tiny food.
It was real food!
Anytime I’m eating, it’s real mini-sized versions of food a mini slider or mini tacos.
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’.MTV
So, you feel giant.
What scene was the most painful for your back?
At some point, somebody was like, Is his spine okay?
[Laughs] Because for me, I wouldn’t complain.
I was like, I’m not going to complain.
Cootie wouldn’t complain.
Stephen Colbert on the cover of ‘Entertainment Weekly’.Courtesy David Needleman/CBS
I would say the most tedious scene though was shooting the scenes in the kitchen.
The first time you see me, I’m peeking out the window.
So, I’m hiding my legs and I’m lining it up to the big legs.
Stephen Colbert during a taping of ‘The Late Show’.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
How I sit really matters.
If I’m not mistaken, I think that setup took two hours.
The bougie part of acting.
There was two of them two of them terrifyingly looming over the set.
They never got to look at me either [during scenes].
The beauty in comedy is that it is drama.
Jackée Harry after her win at the 1987 Emmys.Getty
It is our darkest fears, its our worst days turned into light and humor.
I’m really glad Boots was able to add that naturally.
In real life, I think I’m hilarious.
I make jokes all the time and people around me are like, You are a very funny person.
When I was playing the scene, I remember having a very hard time.
I felt like I was forcing it.
I asked Boots, like How is it coming off?
He was like, No, it seems forced.
[Laughs] I said, I don’t really know how to get there.
He was like, Don’t worry about it being funny because its already funny.
I thought that was a really good note.
And that definitely changed the game for me.
Courtesy Cannes Film Festival (2); Albert Watson/AMPAS
He said he took the funny out because he realized what the scene was its actually not funny.
Theres a minor [having sex]; it’s not a funny scene.
I’m glad you asked me about the comedy aspect.
I would love to do comedy.
Did you get to meet Elijah, and what were your thoughts on that scene?
It was one of the most random days of my life.
[Laughs] I got to meet Elijah; he was there for maybe four hours.
When he came to set, he wasn’t confused at all.
That scene is still, to me, the weirdest scene in the planet of cinema.
I remember when we were shooting it, I had questions for Boots.
I was like, What is this?
What is going on?
What does Cootie learn from it?
He didn’t give me a straight answer.
He just gave me a, Go do it.
Go get that scene done.
Tell me about that and how that informed your performance as Cootie when it came to the Hero.
Cootie idolizes the Hero, but he doesn’t know who he idolizes.
It definitely helped to be a fan of Walton’s work.
I’m thinking, All right, this is a heavy hitter.
And then I’m looking around and he just never was there.
I think it was the same thing with Cootie.
But when he goes out there [into the world], he doesn’t see that.
When Walton came to set, he brought exactly the energy I thought he would, but times 10.
I knew he would come focused, but he came with this edge that intimidated me.
By the time he confronts the Hero, it’s no longer his biggest inspiration.
It’s his biggest enemy.
Lets talk about how Cooties understanding of racism and oppression evolve over the course of the series.
[With Asphalt Royalty], he thought, This is a job.
There’s a beauty in that.
Maybe this is who I was.
What did you take away from this experience that youll be able to use in future projects?
In terms of Cootie, it’s never a problem to be a little naive.
I learned that with Cootie.
I’m hardheaded in real life.
[Laughs]
Have you heard any word about a possible season 2?
I don’t know anything specifically yet.
My fingers are crossed, but I know the strike did a lot of things.
Your next project isUnstoppable, where you’re playing real-life wrestler Anthony Robles.
Tell us a little bit about that.
That is another challenge that I put myself through.
[Laughs] I got to play a man named Anthony Robles.
He ended up being undefeated, and he won NCAA awards.
If you know wrestling, you know him.
It was an incredible process for me.
Im like, All right, how can I challenge myself after something likeVirgo?
I had to learn how to wrestle.
I had to get in shape.
I had to play another real-life person.
Playing Cootie is fun because there’s no pressure in that.
You get to create the character yourself.
I took it, and we made a movie about it.
So that should be coming out in the fall, if I’m not mistaken.
Just a comedy where I’m just a cool guy sitting by the pool the whole time.
That’d be nice.
[Laughs] Whisper that to my team, like.
I’m a Virgois available to stream on Prime Video.
Important Emmys season dates
JUNE 13 Nominations voting beginsJUNE 24, 10 p.m.
Nominations voting endsJULY 17 Nominations announcedAUG.
15 Final voting beginsAUG.
26, 10 p.m. 7 and 8 Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors GalaSEPT.
15 76th Emmy Awards and Governors Gala
Let’s get physical: Maya Erskine on herMr.
Did you enjoy it?
How was your experience with that?
MAYA ERSKINE:I grew to love it.
I had to get in.
And so the strength training totally put me there and made it possible for me to play Jane.
From a physicality perspective, the athleticism is there, the skills are all there.
Are you just that good and fast of a runner?
Is there a filmmaking trick?
Well, Im not a runner, but let me just say this: I became one that week.
I was also sick that week.
I had a cold and flu, and it cured it.
I’m telling you.
I was like, oh, I thought you have to rest when you’re sick.
But actually being so active for two days in a row, my cold went away after three days.
But no, that’s a side note.
So I did steal the Tom Cruise run, which is lifting your hands.
I was wearing Mary Janes.
Listen to the full interview with Erskine andMr.
& Mrs. Smithco-creator/showrunner Francesca Sloane, below.
CanThe Traitorsbreak through after just two seasons?
And who will have the honor of losing toRuPaulin the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program category?
(See:Lizzos Watch Out for the Big Grrrlsin 2022.)
Its possibleThe Traitorscould steal a slot fromNailed It, but thats about all the excitement we can expect.
Much of the shows success stems fromColberts signature blend of silliness and satire.
But he quickly discovered that not only did he like hosting a late-night show, it felt like home.
I was determined to not do a monologue, he admits of his initial approach to the show.
I thought, Im not a stand-up.
And then I fell in love with the monologue.
So far, those instincts have served him well.
As he warned viewers not to touch macaque, his bottom lip quivered and he bit back giggles.
I love puns, he tells EW with a shrug and a smile.
I love stupid jokes and stupid, stupid puns.
Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
He plans to stay at the Ed Sullivan Theater for as long as theyll let him.
The more time hes spent there, the more hes felt the buildings legacy.
Now he can rattle off the theaters history like a particularly knowledgeable CBS tour guide.
First time I landed it, I thought I did a pretty good job, he says.
And Dave looked at it and he goes, Its not up to my standards.
Theres a little bit of Use the Force, Luke, he says with a laugh.
Except the Obi-Wan in my head is Dave.
Read the full Stephen Colbert cover story here.
Emmys Flashback
Getty
“Oh, this is faaaaaabulous!…
Ah, I wonder if I get paid more money for this.
Read more of Joey’s Cannes-alysisand early thoughts on the 2025 Oscar race.
