DDW sat down with actor Vincent Jerome ahead of his upcoming role in BBC’s revival of the iconic Waterloo Road.
With roles in Wonder Woman 1984 and Transformers: The Last Knight, Vincent Jerome is a rising talent in the London acting scene. But it’s not just acting Jerome gets up to. He’s also produced and written two award-winning short films, and is actively championing diversity conversations in the industry.
We’re soon to see Vincent Jerome leading the BBC revival of Waterloo Road, playing the role of Lindon King, a stern teacher in the Manchester high school. DDW sat down with him to talk about guilty pleasures, Prince and living by the water.
Why do you act? What keeps you going?
As cliché as it sounds, the short answer for both questions is because I love it. I love being presented with a character, in a particular situation and being able to explore their thought process in those given circumstances.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Junk food. Pizza, chicken wings, burgers…whatever. I draw the line at deep fried Mars bars but yeah, I’m a fiend for junk food.
Name one thing you cannot live without.
That’s a tough one… I think I’d really struggle without a notebook and something to
draw or write with.
If you could pick three dinner guests, dead or alive, who would you pick and why?
Viola Davis because I could listen to her talk all day. Prince because the man was a
musical genius and the stories that people have of him made him sound damn near
supernatural. Finally, Cornell West – his wisdom and compassion for his fellow
human beings seem limitless. Full disclosure, that list might change on any given day but today, these are my choices.
Who do you look up to?
People who inspire me, and that list is endless. It ranges from actors, musicians,
athletes, authors, filmmakers, artists… Honestly, I’ll be here all day if I named every
one of them.
Do you have a mantra you live by?
Not really but if I had to choose one I’d say it was “Be Specific.” So many times in
life we are afraid to go after what we really want, so we settle for whatever comes our way.
How do you want people to remember you?
As someone who was passionate about the things he loved.
If you could do just one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
A gainfully employed actor.
What are your go-to places to find peace of mind?
I love being by the water. Both sides of my family are from small islands and I think
on some level that’s had an effect on me. There is something hypnotic, mysterious
and dangerous about the water that makes it fascinating to me.
What do you not want to Die Wondering About?
I’ve been lucky enough to experience different types of love from a number of
different people (friends, family, partners etc.) but I couldn’t think of anything worse
than being on the verge of death, questioning whether or not I had felt loved.
Thankfully, I won’t have to. I’m very grateful for that.
Waterloo Road premiers on the 3rd of January on BBC One and BBC iPlayer