Jermaine Fowler on His Big ‘Coming 2 America’ Break With Eddie Murphy

The following interview for Backstage’s on-camera series The Slate was compiled in part by Backstage readers just like you! Follow us on Twitter (@Backstage) and Instagram (@backstagecast) to stay in the loop on upcoming interviews and to submit your questions.

Jermaine Fowler is having his breakout moment. The actor got his start in comedy in New York City, then starred in Boots Riley’s film “Sorry to Bother You” and on CBS sitcom “Superior Donuts” (which he also executive produced). Now, he’s playing the son of Eddie Murphy’s King Akeem in Amazon Studios’ long-awaited sequel “Coming 2 America.” For Fowler, who was inspired to pursue comedy after listening to Murphy’s standup, the experience represents the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance. And though he can’t wait to dive into more work (biopics and dramas, especially), the actor says he’s just happy to take things one day at a time.

Getting cast in “Coming 2 America” felt like a “full-circle” moment for Fowler.
“I did my audition, and I didn’t think I’d get it. I thought maybe I’d work with [director] Craig Brewer in the future, but I didn’t think I’d get the role. I walked out, and a couple [of] days later, my agent said, ‘They want you to do a callback.’ [I] did the callback, and Craig told me he liked it. Next thing I know, Boots Riley is calling my cellphone, and Boots told me, ‘Hey, Jermaine, man, I heard you might be having some good news coming your way about “Coming 2 America.” ’ And I was like, ‘How the hell do you know?’ He’s not my agent! And he said, ‘I’m at the [American] Black Film Festival in Miami—that’s how I know. The producers are down here, and they’re singing your praises.’ And that’s so full-circle to me, because Boots put me in my first film. The funny part about that is I had to act surprised when my agents called!”

He learned how to give a good audition from his work in standup.
“I come from the standup world, and I like to self-sabotage a lot; that’s generally what we do. We’re so bad at structure and conforming, so I’m used to just doing things my own way. And producers watch auditions all day, all week, all month long, sometimes, and it can be a daunting process. So it’s good to kind of take liberties and have fun with it, man! They need something to remember you by. You’re unique, and no one can do what you do. So do it—do what makes you different from everybody else.”

Working with Murphy was a dream come true.
“They say don’t meet your heroes—they might let you down. Eddie exceeded every expectation that I had…. I will say what motivated me about being around him was his passion and longevity, and seeing how professional he is around people. One day, we were filming a scene out in the cold and he was giggling, and I said, ‘What you laughin’ at?’ And what he told me was beautiful: Basically, what he said was that he just loves this; he has such a passion for it. And it made me realize that I want to be doing this forever, until the wheels fall off. I love what I do, and it was a beautiful moment, and it made me admire the guy even more.” 

Advice he was given early on helped Jermaine get his “foot in the door.”
“Bill Burr came to a comedy club one day, at the DC Improv. [There] was a group of comedians around him, and he gave us all advice. He said, ‘Listen, don’t just do standup. You’ve got to do different things. Find out what else you can do, whether that’s writing or doing sketches on YouTube or blogging.’ And I listened to him. And ever since then, [I’ve been] doing sketches on YouTube. [One video] went viral, and that was the first thing that actually kind of got my foot in the door, honestly.” 

Fowler is grateful for his early career struggles, because they brought him to where he is today.
“Rejection is just part of the business; it’s part of the nature of this. But you have to learn how to build thick skin and to move on and continue to go. Because those are the stories that matter. I love hearing stories about actors who were rejected and who felt insecure about not getting a particular part. Those are the best stories! Who wants to hear a story about a successful actor? That’s not interesting at all! I love hearing about the struggle, because we all struggle, and that’s just part of life. I’m grateful for the moments that I was unsure about my career or my life, because they made me who I am right now.”

This story originally appeared in the March 18 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.