On Tuesday, Amazon Studios, in collaboration with Somos and Refinery29’s Unbothered, hosted an exclusive screening of the new movie Unstoppable in New York City.
The event featured the cast and the real-life inspirations behind the film, bringing together actor Jharrel Jerome, NCAA wrestling champion Anthony Robles, and his mother Judy Robles for a post-screening Q&A.
The film, which also stars Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale, and Michael Peña, truly captivated audiences with its beautiful story of resilience and determination.
Unstoppable tells the extraordinary true story of Anthony Robles, who, born with one leg, overcame challenges to become an NCAA wrestling champion. There’s no question about Jerome’s talent. His portrayal of Anthony will be remembered. Not only will his transformation into a wrestler be discussed, but also how he brought such grit and determination to the role, making it entirely believable that he was a college student navigating the trials and tribulations of the real-life figure.
Lopez portrayed Judy Robles, Anthony’s resilient and loving mother, whose unwavering support was the cornerstone of his journey. She embodied the role of a devoted mother determined to ensure her son’s success, knowing he would face constant adversity in the world. Her efforts demonstrated her deep belief in his potential and her relentless drive to help him achieve anything he set his mind to.
Jerome’s portrayal earned high praise from the Robles family. “Every time I saw Jharrel play Anthony, I thought, ‘That’s my son,’” Judy Robles shared during the Q&A. “He carried himself with such grace and embodied so many of Anthony’s attributes.” Lopez’s heartfelt performance as Judy also resonated deeply with the family, reflecting the authentic love and determination they shared in real life.
The post-screening discussion provided intimate insights into the making of the film. Both Anthony and Judy Robles expressed the emotional weight of seeing their story unfold on the big screen.
“It was mind-blowing, just sitting there kind of going through the roller coaster of emotions all over again with an audience and reliving the highs and also the low moments,” Anthony said. “As a wrestler, we’re trained to not show that we’re tired, not show any pain. And, I tell people I don’t cry. Sometimes my eyes just get sweaty. But, there was a moment when the lights came on and just to see the reaction of the people in that theater with us, my eyes were sweating hard!”
Judy echoed this sentiment, sharing the vulnerability required to share their family’s story. “Being vulnerable was very, very hard. But I think that when this team came alongside and they made us feel safe. They allowed us to trust them and just to believe that they cared about us. They cared about my family. They cared about my kids. They cared about the pain that we went through. And I think that that is what made it easy to be vulnerable.”
For Jerome, taking on the role of Anthony Robles was both an honor and a responsibility. “Anthony’s support and the validation he gave me was all the motivation I needed to kind of shut the doubts off,” Jerome said. “…and that moment where I did look at him and I said, ‘I got it. I got you and I’m going to tell your story and I’m going to do it right.’ He just looked at me like, ‘You didn’t even have to say that because I know.’ And so, I just took that and I used it as fuel to kind of get into it and make sure I do it the right way and bring the correct justice to it.”
When it comes to awards as a form of validation, Jerome’s not checking for them. “I’m not worried about the award stuff,” Jerome said. “It’s a mind-bend. It’s weird. I don’t know how to explain it. At the end of the day, I don’t do any of this for that. I do it for the work, which is why I’m so selective with what I do. I’m not just trying to pop up in just anything. I like to be there because I care and I like to be there because it’s going to push me.”
Unstoppable is now streaming on Prime Video.
Check out photos from the event below.
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Photo Credit: Stacks Photography
