Jeremy Pope Reflects on Oscar Snub, What A Nom Means For Black Actors

Pose star Jeremy Pope understands the power of being an Academy Award-winning actor.

In a new interview with The Guardian, the 30-year-old got candid about his time as an actor, playing a gay marine in his new film The Inspection, and what it was like to even be considered for an oscar.

Though the academy ignored his moving role, he did earn a Golden Globe nomination. Still, Pope wasn't upset that he didn't snag that Oscar nom.

“I honestly thought I was gonna feel something," he shared, "like: 'Oh man!' And I didn’t. We were the little indie film that could. We shot it in 19 days on a limited budget. The fact that we were even part of the conversation – that’s the win.”

He does still recognize that securing that nomination would be life-changing, especially financially.

“As a Black artist, it does change where the comma goes in your cheque. I’ll always be blunt about that, because we’re looking for health insurance, we’re looking for longevity. But as a Black man in an institution that wasn’t necessarily built for Black people to thrive, I’m not surprised.”

While he acknowledges there's room to be upset and critique the snub, he's proud of the work he's done. “We made aFull Metal Jacket with a Black gay lead. Holy shit, that is transformative! It’s a seed planted for something bigger than us.”

He also spoke on what it was like to grow up queer with a father who was both a pastor and a professional wrestler. He says his dad let him play with Barbies and allowed him to listen to Britney Spears and the Spice Girls. “When I got the lead in Cats, it was my dad who made my costume,” he recalled.

At the same time, his father would give sermons declaring homosexuality was a sin. “I was still coming into my own and I felt he was speaking those words to me.” Were you expecting to go to hell? “For sure! That’s the only thing I knew. I kept feeling: ‘Is this gonna stop me from my greatness?’”

Ultimately, it was moving away from home and into New York City that gave him the freedom to find himself and live authentically.

“I could step away from being the pastor’s kid and begin asking: ‘Who is Jeremy?’ Let’s shoutout to New York, because this city changed my life and it changed how I showed up for Jeremy Pope!”