From Bronx to Big Screen: The Journey of Jharrel Jerome

Jharrel Jerome’s story of rag to grace is similar to what many other black actors often tell. He is famous for his amazing performances on the big screen and TV. He was born on October 7, 1997, in the Bronx, New York, and he displayed interest in acting even at a tender age.

His ability to perform was spotted while he attended the Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music, Art, and Performing Arts. Jharrel was able to convince his teachers, while in high school of his ability to master the art of dancing and screenplay.

Jharrel was able to grasp the basic elements of acting in high school but his breakthrough came only in 2016 when he was featured as “Kevin” in the movie Moonlight. The Barry Jenkins-directed movie got massive recognition and even went on to win the 2017 Academy Award for Best Picture.

Jharrel was highly praised for the depth he added to his character, Kevin. At his tender age, he was able to display skills and emotional resonance that made a lasting impression in the minds of the audience.

Jharrel even became more popular when he acted as “Korey Wise” in the mini-series When They See Us. The Netflix series, which aired in 2019 was directed by Ava DuVernay and the movie depicted a real-life story of a Central Park jogger who was convicted along with four other Black and a Latino teenager.

Korey Wise was one of the teens wrongfully committing a crime they knew nothing about, and he ended up in prison battling to get himself out of the legal tussle.

For his role in the limited series, Jharrel Jerome won the best lead actor at the Emmy Awards, becoming the youngest actor in history to win it. There are numerous movies where Jharrel played minor roles and still delivered perfectly.

Though Jharrel has held many other roles in movies and series, his acting prowess in When They See Us helped showcase his versatility. He also built a reputation as one of the most talented Black actors on screen, thus solidifying his reputation, especially in the minds of his followers in Hollywood. Proving his ability to deliver powerful and genuine performances that match characters and resonate with the audiences.

Jharrel Jerome was able to survive the rigors and demands of being an actor by staying dedicated to his craft. He evolved through his career switching from one role to another. He can tackle complex and challenging roles while staying through to himself. He was able to match his talent with his storytelling ability, and it didn’t take long before he established himself as a Hollywood rising star.

Aside from earning key accolades and recommendations, Jharrel continues to motivate upcoming actors, and he remains an advocate of social justice and increased representation of minority entertainers in Hollywood. Jharrel is not very active on social media but still dedicates time to updating his followers on new projects and motivating them to go for what they want.