“We don’t talk about that day,” the actor tellsEntertainment Weekly, laughing.
“It didn’t go well for me.
That’s the first time I saw Anthony really be nice to somebody [on the mat].
Jharrel Jerome in ‘Unstoppable’.Ana Carballosa/Prime
I definitely wanted to feel what the other wrestlers felt wrestling him.”
But even more impressive and inspiring is that he did so with just one leg.
“Anthony’s such a beast on the mat.
‘Unstoppable’ stars Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez on the Awardist 2025 Kickoff cover of ‘Entertainment Weekly’.Jonny Marlowfor EW
“But you watch this video, and he’s the complete opposite.
So I’m over here [wondering],What is going on?What a duality.
I wanted to find the guy beyond the wrestler who wrestled at home.
Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Lopez, and Jharrel Jerome in ‘Unstoppable’.Ana Carballosa/Prime
That’s what pulled me to it.
The wrestling just came with it.”
It was the obstacles Robles overcame outside the sport, since infancy, that might truly define him.
Jennifer Lopez.Jonny Marlow
Robles' mom, Judy played byJennifer Lopez had him as a teenager.
“There were different sides to him that the kids didn’t see, that only Judy saw.
In a brief flashback, we get a small glimpse into Rick’s own upbringing.
Jennifer Lopez in ‘Unstoppable’.Ana Carballosa/Prime
“I am cognizant of that feeling.
“And that’s kind of where I approached the guy from.
So whatever the result of that is…. Anthony would most certainly disagree with that.
Jharrel Jerome.Jonny Marlow
We both understood what that was.”
“He was the father of four of her children.
“We long to be loved, and we want something impossible to work out.
Director William Goldenberg and Jennifer Lopez on the set of ‘Unstoppable’.Ana Carballosa/Prime
I kind of dont want to see that part of me.'
But I know that was my growth journey.”
That’s what its all about.
Jharrel Jerome (left) in ‘Unstoppable’.Ana Carballosa/Prime
Like Robles, the biopic of his life has faced its share of adversity.
Goldenberg remembers the agonizing call he had to make to his star.
“He took a minute when I told him that we got shut down,” the director recounts.
Don Cheadle in ‘Unstoppable’.Ana Carballosa/Prime
And he did.”
A very Anthony thing of Jerome to do.
But then again, he got to learn by example.
Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Anthony Robles, and Judy Robles.Jonny Marlow
It’s very tricky playing somebody in real life.
There’s a sensitivity that belongs there, and there’s a respect.
They’re still a human being they’re not just a project, they’re not just work.
Jennifer Lopez, Anthony Robles, Jharrel Jerome, and Judy Robles on the set of ‘Unstoppable’.Ana Carballosa/Prime
That respect isn’t just about the emotional aspects of his life but also the physical.
So for me, that was a pivotal part of the process.
We also worked a lot on balance.
We worked a lot on me having my hands out and just up on one foot.
“Believe me, you’ve never seen anybody happier.”
“Anthony was my coach.
He was my own mentor through the whole entire process.
That’s what it’s all about.
“I don’t want to just be up there bulls—ting.
I started training as soon as I got the part.
It is, I think, probably one of the hardest, if not the hardest sport.
It’s full body, total intensity, can’t ever let up, fast, slow….
It encompasses everything.”
“It is one thing to learn wrestling, which is tough in and of itself.
But for him to learn my style of wrestling, which is very unique and specific…. Was that how you would do it?'
just looking for my approval from it.”
But there was someone else who it meant even more coming from.
“It was one thing for Anthony to look at me like, ‘You are getting it.’
You feel like my son.
You are my son.'”
Their bond is strong, forged from shared experiences, personal stories, and trust.
But getting here wasn’t easy for the real-life mother and son.
“My mom always used to tell me growing up that God made me this way for a reason.
And there were times where I struggled growing up.
And to be here now, I can see that plan.
It is not about me.
It’s about the story.
I’m just grateful to be able to see it now.”
And the truth is, all you need is really one good parent to love you.
You hear it in Anthony’s voice, and look what hes been able to accomplish.
That’s what the movie gave me: You are enough.”
