DIY VIRAL
The new Prime Video film Unstoppable tell the inspiring story of wrestling champion Anthony Robles played by Jharrel Jerome.
Source: Courtesy / Amazon MGM Studios
The film delves deep into the triumphs and challenges that shaped Robles' extraordinary journey, including poverty and a physical disability (he was born with one leg). The film also stars Jennifer Lopez as Anthony's mother and Bobby Cannavale as his stepfather, while Michael Peña and Don Cheadle play his high school and college coaches, respectively.
BOSSIP Senior Content Director Janeé Bolden spoke with Anthony and Jharrel about the emotional experience of bringing this story to the screen, the bonds they formed, and the raw truth behind the film.
Anthony Robles was excited and terrified to see his life story told
Anthony Robles admitted that watching his life unfold on screen was both exciting and nerve-wracking.
“It was a mixture of excitement and also fear,” Anthony told BOSSIP. “A film about your life story – it's incredible, but just having to talk about the scars, the painful moments – that really terrified me. But luckily, we had an amazing group of people who cared about my feelings, mine and my family's, and wanted to tell this story the right way. It really helped me feel comfortable.
Anthony praised Jharrel's dedication to portraying him authentically.
“Being on set with him, him really focusing on those little details that made me… me, was something very special and it meant a lot to me. I think, you know, we developed this organic friendship and brotherhood, and so I'm just blessed. I couldn't have asked for a better person to play my role in my life story. This man is incredible.
Source: Mike Marsland/Getty
Jharrel Jerome had to learn wrestling for his role
Jharrel Jerome shared the many lessons he learned from putting himself in Anthony's shoes.
“It’s almost like, what haven’t I learned?” Jharrel said. “I learned to wrestle to begin with. Just the appreciation of the sport, the understanding of the sport and how it could apply to me as a person and just learning about my own physicality, you know? I learned what I can do physically for myself. Walking into the gym, I think I kind of stretched and pulled in a lot of ways that I had never done before. It gives me that kind of push for my next project. It makes me want to see what else I can do.
The role also offered Jharrel the opportunity to learn more about Anthony's world.
“I learned a little bit about Arizona, I learned a little bit about carne asada, I learned a little bit about a lot of things,” Jharrel added. “Just being there with Anthony and having him with me so close, it didn't feel like I was making a movie. It felt like we were constantly in boot camp and hanging out and learning from each other and growing with each other. And so when the filming happened, a lot of it was authentic and fun.
'Unstoppable' Explores Anthony Robles' Challenges Beyond the Physical
Although Anthony's physical disability was part of his story, Anthony and Jharrel agree that the emotional difficulties, particularly Anthony's relationship with his stepfather, were even greater.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Jharrel said. “When it comes to Anthony's physical condition, that's the last thing, you know, and think about that when you get to know him and understand him. Anthony did a lot of wrestling on the mat and he kicked ass, but he had to do a lot of wrestling off the mat.
Jharrel explained his approach to portraying Anthony's emotional depth. “For me, it was very important to make sure that it wasn't a typical sports movie where your main character is just a tough guy all the time and he's sweating and maybe just one tear falls. I wanted to m 'making sure to capture that vulnerability, what goes beyond the eyes and what goes beyond the sweat and tension he experiences on the mat and at home.
Source: Éric Charbonneau/Getty
For Anthony, reliving those moments on screen was painful. “For me, just watching the scenes with the stepfather, it was painful,” Anthony said. “It was a bit like reliving those moments and I remember fighting back tears and rage at the same time. But, you know, during this whole process, I talked to my family and we had long conversations about what we were going to do, what we were going to get into, and sharing these moments, these painful memories.
Despite the difficulty, Anthony knew the importance of telling the whole story.
“We felt like in order for it to be as relevant as possible and inspire as many people as possible, we had to be raw. We had to share this pain because that's what people understand. You know, life won't always be happy days, it won't always be a smooth, pleasant road. You will face obstacles. You have to face the pain. You have to deal with being knocked down, but it's all about how you come back from it.
Source: Dave Bennett/Getty
Anthony summarized the purpose of the film:
“We knew it no longer concerned us. We succeeded. We fought as a family. We succeeded. It's about other people who might face similar challenges, who might fight similar adversaries, just to show them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You know, you can get through this. So that's what got us through those painful times: just thinking that this is going to really touch someone one day. »
Unstoppable isn't just another sports movie. It is a testament to resilience, vulnerability and the ability to overcome life's toughest challenges. The film debuts Thursday, January 16 on Prime Video.
DIY VIRAL
