How Jharrel Jerome Got 'the Most in Shape Ever' to Play Wrestler Anthony Robles in “Unstoppable” (Exclusive)

Unstoppable required Jharrel Jerome to put in a lot of work to become wrestling champ Anthony Robles. Much of it is right there on the screen, from wrestling to lifting to weighted runs — often on crutches, as Robles was born without a right leg.

“I am the most in shape I've ever been in my life,” the actor, 27, tells PEOPLE. Grimacing, remembering his grueling training regimen, he adds wryly, “so it’s great.”

Unstoppable tells the incredible story of Arizona State University alum Robles, now 36, becoming a 2011 NCAA champion after launching a wrestling career in high school. Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale and Don Cheadle play real-life figures in Robles’ life.

Related: Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome Shine in Powerful New Unstoppable Trailer (Exclusive)

To recreate his matches in the ring, Jerome and Robles himself (a stunt double and consultant on the film, producing alongside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) followed choreographed moves in exacting detail. That meant not only training to match Robles’ athleticism, but also brushing up on knowledge of the sport, explains Jerome.

“The WWE was about all I knew when it came to wrestling,” the When They See Us Emmy winner admits.

As Unstoppable lingered in development and then was interrupted by 2023’s writers' and actors’ strikes, Jerome endured months of bootcamp: “Nine to 5, five days a week,” he recalls. “At the last day of our bootcamp, we went right into day one of shooting, which was pretty crazy.”

Of course, he “couldn’t slip” when cameras began rolling. “I skipped all my lunch breaks” to work out, he says. “I packed meals and put them in microwaves throughout the set and was eating in between takes. Because everybody went to lunch and I went into whatever facility they had nearby, whether we were on the campus of some college or in a warehouse where they brought in weights and a mat for me to do a body workout.”

While Jerome says it’s difficult to pick the biggest challenge in “transforming and turning into that beast,” as he jokingly calls Robles, the calluses under his armpits from constant use of crutches ranks high on the list.

“I practiced how to move around on the crutches so I can not look like I had just sprained my ankle two weeks ago,” says the actor, who wore a green sock that erased one leg via special effects.

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It was all worth it for his connection to Robles, who invited cast and crew members into his Arizona home throughout filming. “I consider him a brother,” Jerome says. “It's really become beyond the work for us.”

Plus he’s now never lacking inspiration to continue to stay in shape. “It's 8 o'clock in the morning and I don't want to wake up, but I'm up in the gym at 8:30 and that's just because I know Anthony would be," says Jerome. "You can't see somebody do 80 pull-ups with a weighted vest the way Anthony does and not use that as motivation.”

Unstoppable is now streaming on Prime Video.

Read the original article on People