The NCAA wrestling champion of a certain weight class in 2011 is a remarkable individual, and not just because he was born with one leg. Anthony Robles journeyed a tough road to glory and has continued to inspire budding athletes and dreamers in general in the years following his athletic dominance era, going on to become a published author, motivational speaker, and official Nike Athlete. And now, his acclaimed wrestling biopic is about to drop on Prime Video, adapted from Robles’ engrossing autobiography, Unstoppable.
Award-winning actor Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight, Beyond the Spider-Verse) portrays Robles with a certain tenacity that is sure to continue the revival of the sports genre we saw in 2024 (with The Fire Inside and Day of the Fight). MovieWeb recently caught up with the rising star to learn more about what it took to tackle such a fierce and unique role. “When I got the part, I saw a YouTube video of Anthony, and then I looked in the mirror and saw me, and I realized that I was very far from where he’s at, physically and ultimately mentally because of what he’s been able to accomplish in his life,” Jerome told us, adding:
“I knew this was going to be the most challenging thing that I would have done. But that, in turn, kind of excited me to approach the role; as an actor, at least for me, that is what I do it for. It’s like, you know, Anthony finding out he’s about to wrestle the best wrestler from Iowa. You know, it’s the same feeling. It’s a challenge that you’re willing to accept. And I was willing to accept it, and I’m happy that Anthony was there with me the whole way, to get me through it.”
“Transforming” for Real-Life Characters Like Anthony Robles
Fans of Ava DuVernay’s work might recall Jerome taking home Emmy gold back in 2019 for the renowned Netflix series When They See Us, which — like Unstoppable — was also based on a harrowing true story. Jerome has also portrayed his fair share of fictional characters, of course (as in the excellent series I’m a Virgo), but he opened up to us about the perks of playing real people on film and TV every now and then:
“As an actor, I don’t know if I’m wrong to say this, but I think it is our favorite thing to do. It almost makes us feel like a [real] actor when we have to transform, you know? When you’re playing a made-up character, you’re pulling from your life, or you’re pulling from things, but you have to shut that all off and you’re not allowed to use anything [for real-life characters]. You have to shape and transform. And for me, that’s what keeps my passion alive.”
“And so I’ve done this twice,” continued Jerome, “and I definitely wouldn’t mind doing it again. Especially with stories that are such larger than life, like this one, and stories that need to be heard from all walks of life.” From Amazon MGM Studios, Unstoppable will stream on Prime Video starting Jan. 16, 2025.
Born with one leg, Anthony Robles defies expectations to become a champion wrestler in college, competing against the very school that rejected him.
- Release Date
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September 10, 2024
- Director
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William Goldenberg
- Runtime
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116 Minutes
- Cast
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Jennifer Lopez
, Bobby Cannavale
, Shawn Hatosy
, Don Cheadle
, Michael Pena
, Jharrel Jerome
, Julianna Gamiz
, Timothy Beal
, Noen Perez
, Alex Barone
, Jacob John Caldwell
, Josh Stone
, Evan Shafran
, Kaleb Shorey
, Mason Eaglin
, Carlos Solórzano
, Roman Thomson
, Tande Mungwa
, Neil Wachs
, Mateo Ray Garcia
, Benjamin Barrett
, Gabe Kessler
, Serenity Starr Foreman
, Parker Sack
, Christopher Blonski
, David Sargsyan
, Stewart Jewett
, Chrissy Bergeron - Writers
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John Hindman
, Eric Champnella
, Alex Harris
