Jeremy Pope is definitely a man who stands on principle. In a new cover story for Variety, the actor revealed that he quit a major studio film after the bigoted director began casting doubts on him because he's gay.
“Even though I didn’t love the script, it meant something,” the actor says. “But it was one of those things that would get me in the conversations, get me in front of directors and people at studios. As people know, that is currency and helps where the comma on your check goes and the opportunities you’re given.”
“I got into an interesting conversation with the director where he basically said I didn’t have the ability to connect with a female character because I was gay,” he reveals. “In the moment, I was negotiating how to defend myself. But at the end of the day, that spoke so much more to where he was at and his journey in life versus who I am or what I know I bring to a project.”
“I can’t be in an environment that doesn’t support and pour into me the way I’m going to support and pour into it. I had to say ‘eff that energy’ because it’s going to take too much from me,” Pope shares.
Jeremy's decision to walk away from the project turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because he ended up booking the lead in Elegance Bratton's film for A24 Inspection.
“It was like I had to be tested to really know my worth and affirm myself,” says Pope. “This is exactly where I’m supposed to be. So it was just I had to go through that and understand my worth and my existence and how I want to show up in this business and what I’m willing to tolerate and not tolerate. So I think, like I said, life has to do life’s thing.”
Clearly this director has never acted a day in his life, because anyone who has ever acted will tell you that the sole purpose of an actor is to convince the people watching that you are the character that you're embodying.
If anyone knows how to play it straight it's definitely gay men, if you know what I'm saying, and I think you do.
Jeremy is currently on Broadway playing Jean-Michael Basquiat in The Collaboration alongside Paul Bettany who's playing Andy Warhol. The play, which currently runs until the end of January is being developed into a feature film.
Pope is also set to star as Sammy Davis Jr in the Janet Mock-directed film Scandalous!, which will chronicle his romance with actress Kim Novak.
If you want to read the full Variety article on Jeremy Pope, head here
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