Jermaine Fowler
Jermaine Fowler is an American actor, producer, and writer who will soon be seen on screen in Coming 2 America. Scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime on March 5th, 2021. He plays the son of Eddie Murphy’s character, a Queens’ native named Lavelle, who is the next crowned prince. Fowler is also known for being the executive producer and star of the CBS sitcom Superior Donut’s. Jermaine is currently seen in HBO’S Judas and the Black Messiah, a 2021 American biographical drama film directed and produced by Shaka King.
Jacket by Les Hommes
Shirt by Lord & Fools at Ivan Bitton Stylehouse
Black pants with with stripes by Falguni Shane Peacock
Shoes by Jean-Baptiste Rautureau
What about the entertainment industry speaks most to you?
The fact that it’s an outlet for me to express how I’m feeling, and, in many ways, it’s allowed me to release a lot of emotion: happy, sad, and frustrated. There’s always a way to get that out when you’re entertaining people. When I’m on-stage doing stand-up, the point of the shows is to make them relatable, to do that I have to explain what’s going on in my life. By the end of the day, I help them cope with what they’re going through and that’s stand up. I love diving into characters. I love telling stories and to do that, I have to tap into a side of myself I didn’t know I had or find something buried away that I can unlock.
What has been the most exciting part about working alongside Murphy in Coming 2 America? Is there anything that you’ve learned throughout this production that you will take forward?
I learned that no matter what I might be doing, I will love every minute of it. I want to keep my enthusiasm and wake up every day being happy, excited, and proud for the career that I have. So, working with Eddie, it’s been very eye opening. I’ve learned a lot from him and admire how he still shares the love and passion for what he loves to do. It’s really motivating for me to learn from him.
Jacket + Shirt + Pants
Lord of Fools at Ivan Bitton Stylehouse
What are your most important values?
Integrity, kindness, empathy, compassion, and drive. Those things got me extremely far in my career. Also trying to learn from my mistakes and growth. Growth is especially important.
Have you considered staying within the comedy realm of the industry and pursuing mainly stand-up?
No, my goal is to not only continue to do stand-up and comedy, but also to branch out and find stories that are unexpected of me to tell, break out of whatever box people expect me to be in, and explore other things that make me or other people uncomfortableI’m glad I started with stand-up because you don’t get any more comfortable than bombing in front of people. This helped me sort of work out the muscle of diving into the deep end without any floaties. It’s for that reason I look at roles and other projects with an open-minded approach. If a character or story makes me uncomfortable, I ask myself “why?” and is that lack of comfort possible to translate into something beautiful. I ask myself these things and they push me to do what I never thought was possible.
Left:
Jacket by Les Hommes
Shirt by Lord & Fools at Ivan Bitton Stylehouse
Black pants with with stripes by Falguni Shane Peacock
Shoes by Jean-Baptiste Rautureau
Right:
Clinton Blazer in Wolle Ponte (Grove/Black)
Curtis Pant in Wool Ponte (Grove/Black)
Shirt is the Sylvain Shirt in Good Cotton, and Roadster Tie in Silk all by Theory
Shoes by Jean-Baptiste Rautureau
What is your go-to show or movie to watch?
My favorites are Sleepy Hollow, The Rock, and Friday. Right now on TV I’ve been watching old Seinfeld re-runs, they make me feel good.
How do you find inspiration when developing and brainstorming ideas for new projects?
Inspiration can come from anything! That’s why they call it inspiration. I can find it by walking down the street when I see graffiti. I can contact the artist and see if he or she wants to collaborate. I find inspiration from old films, Le Haim for example, and other old French classics. I find inspiration from all of my peers, and the work that they are doing pushes me. I find inspiration from anything. Life should be inspirational. I think you should wake up with drive and the need to do something different.
Clinton Blazer in Wolle Ponte (Grove/Black)
Curtis Pant in Wool Ponte (Grove/Black)
Shirt is the Sylvain Shirt in Good Cotton, and Roadster Tie in Silk all by Theory
Shoes by Jean-Baptiste Rautureau
When reflecting on your stand-up Give Em Hell Kid and sitcom Superior Donuts, which of these productions did you enjoy filming and writing more?
Give Em Hell Kid was very personal to me. It was about my life up to that moment. In the present, I find a lot of joy in writing. I am currently writing this piece about a dad and his daughter. The daughter is discovering her dad is not the superhero she always wanted. The dad is trying to figure out if it is okay to let your kids know that you’re only human or if we should aspire to be superheroes for their children. It’s very personal to me because I have a daughter, my only child. I want to be great for her, and that starts with me needing to be proud of myself.
What are some of your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Empathy is my biggest strength and weakness. It can help me see the good in people and situations, but it can also be taken advantage of. Either way, it hasn’t deterred me from being who I am, I don’t give a shit. Some people view empathy and sensitivity as a weakness or being naïve, but it is actually beautiful because you can really see someone for who that person is.
Left:
Jacket by Les Hommes
Shirt by Lord & Fools at Ivan Bitton Stylehouse
Black pants with with stripes by Falguni Shane Peacock
Shoes by Jean-Baptiste Rautureau
Right:
Bow-tie by Helen Anthony
Suit by Les Hommes
Shirt by Theory
Shoes by Jean-Baptiste Rautureau
How do you prepare and ensure you bring out the most in a character you are playing?
I like to prepare by knowing my lines to a T. The more I am prepared in my lines, the more I can go in any direction with the character. Once I know the dialogue, I like to dive into what’s beneath that dialogue: why this character is saying what he’s saying, who was this character before the movie. If I’m doing a film about a basketball player and he’s in the NBA, I like to put myself in the shoes of what he was like in high school. Context is extremely important to me, and if there isn’t context in the script I’ll make it up.
What is your life motto?
“Nothing’s okay but nothing is going to be alright. It helps me get through the day.” I can't take credit for the motto. I think I heard an angry guy say it under his breath when I passed by him.
Can you link us with your social media’s?
I hate social media! I have an Instagram for now, @jermainefowler, but I might delete it.
Clinton Blazer in Wolle Ponte (Grove/Black)
Curtis Pant in Wool Ponte (Grove/Black)
Shirt is the Sylvain Shirt in Good Cotton, and Roadster Tie in Silk all by Theory
CREW CREDITS:
Creative Director, Photographer & Producer: Mike Ruiz
Talent: Jermaine Fowler
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Agency Gerard Artists
Groomer: - Ozzie Gutierrez
Fashion Stylist Assistant: Fletcher Hurley
Tearsheets: Caitriona Moran, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview: Alaina Randazzo and Destina Marotta, Contributors, PhotoBook Magazine
