Acting Up – Episode #34: Jeremy Pope
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The Snapshot: Jeremy Pope plays a gay screenwriter staring down the forces of racial prejudice and homophobia in 1940s Hollywood in the Netflix series, Hollywood. (Available as of May 1, 2020.)
The Performer: Jeremy Pope
The Series: Hollywood
The Performance:
In a year that’s seen everything from a global pandemic to civil unrest in the streets of America, there’s something vastly appealing about the fantasy world portrayed in this Netflix miniseries.
In fact, no 13 words describe its allure better than a proclamation Jeremy Pope’s character, Archie Coleman, makes to Raymond Ainsley (Darren Criss) over drinks. “I want to take the story of Hollywood and give it a rewrite,” says Archie to the potential director of his film.
Welcome to Hollywood, co-created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy (The Politician, Glee), where a colorful cast of characters and revisionist history are the name of the game.
When we first meet Archie, he’s in a gay movie theater about to hook up before aspiring actor Jack Costello (David Corenswet), impersonating a cop, swoops Archie up to deliver him to a better destiny. In this case, it’s a gas station where he works – which is really a front for a male prostitution ring run by a failed Hollywood actor Ernie West (played by Dylan McDermott).
That’s when Archie’s fortune changes for the better, highlighted by a caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation that blends boldness with optimism at a time when most (in the show and reality) could use it. Pope plays the role to perfection – a minority screenwriter with a dream to alter the lens through which he’s seen. His character’s ultimate goal? That he “won’t be a black writer writing about some white lady… I’ll just be a writer.” Perhaps a pipe dream for post-WWII Hollywood, but that’s part of Archie’s magical charm. He turns tricks to get by, but his greatest trick is how he’s able to change an industry that would prefer he remain outside the bubble.
Luckily, Archie has a team of believers behind him (including Murphy and Brennan) who make his ride from aspiring to achieving not just a fun one, but an important one. All the while, the gas station serves as launching pad fuel for Hollywood careers as these characters work their way up the ladder – a reality that’s especially fun to watch once Archie’s script goes into production.
But since this is the late ‘40s, there’s push back along the way to several elements involved in this production. This ranges from the perception of having a black screenwriter’s name on the marquee to the acceptance of Archie’s homosexual relationship with actor, Rock Hudson.
Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that Pope’s powerful performance resonates especially well right now as we currently deal with human and racial rights issues as a society. Pope lends a passion and likability to his character that you can’t help but root for. In a way, Archie Coleman represents the best in all of us: a man with a dream to live in a more accepting world. But more importantly, he also has the power and courage to take action to do something about it.
As with many of the storylines here, it’s hard not to get caught up in the syrupy sentiment as you watch Hollywood unfold thanks to the bravery of characters who are ahead of their day. Back then, the stories of marginalized groups such as Archie’s rarely ended well. But this Hollywood is the land of suspended disbelief, where happy endings overcome racist and homophobic agendas.
At a time when dark news pours out of all our devices, this show is a heartwarming vision of a better, more utopian world – and Archie Coleman is one of the motors that fuel it.
The Career:
One of the running themes in Hollywood is about what it takes for actors to get their big break. In reality, that’s what the Netflix limited series is for Pope – given Archie Coleman is his TV debut.
But that’s not to say the actor wasn’t already a success story. In fact, Pope is fresh off one of the more successful seasons on the Broadway scene. Last year, he became a star on stage becoming only the sixth actor in Tony history to be nominated for two performances in one season.
The first was for Choir Boy (January 2019), where the 27-year-old played a queer, God-loving head of a prep-school choir in a performance praised by critics for The New York Times and Variety. For this role, he was nominated for a Tony for “Best Actor in a Play.”
Then, three days after concluding Choir Boy, Pope began previews for his Broadway musical debut in Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations (March 2019) as legendary crooner Eddie Kendricks. For this, Pope received a Tony nod for “Best Featured Actor in a Musical.” Then Hollywood came calling, where more awards could potentially await.
Prior to his career on stage, Pope had a role in the small indie flick, The Ranger (2018), about a group of teenagers on the run from the cops and a park ranger with a serious ax to grind.
Pope is also a photographer and recording artist whose song ‘New Love’ was featured in the Netflix film, Step Sisters. His music can be heard on iTunes, Spotify and on his website.
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Gregg Rosenzweig has been a writer, creative director and managing editor for various entertainment clients, ad agencies and digital media companies over the past 20 years. He is also a partner in the talent management/production company, The Rosenzweig Group.
