Jennifer Lopez's 'Unstoppable' brings alive inspiring story of one-legged wrestler
Jennifer Lopez's new film, Unstoppable, recently premiered in the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by William Goldenberg, it's based on a namesake book by wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg but proceeded to succeed in the game. The movie stars Jharrel Jerome as Robles and Lopez as his mother and greatest advocate, Judy. Here's everything to know about Robles and the film.
Robles consistently defied all odds
Robles was born without a leg, reportedly due to unknown reasons. He started wrestling in the ninth grade and encountered defeats, but gradually, the right training and years of determination and practice turned his life around. Per his website, "Despite various obstacles along the way, I went from being last in the city to finishing my junior and senior years at Mesa High School with a 96-0 record, a 2-time Arizona State Champion and a high school National Champion."
He rapidly rose the ranks in wrestling
He says on his website, "My mom raised me with my head in the clouds, so I believed I could do anything I set my mind to." "Through trials and hardships, both on and off the wrestling mat, I finished as a 3-time All-American and the 2011 NCAA National Champion. Although my competition days on the mat are over, I will continue to wrestle the opponents life brings my way all the while believing that."
'Unstoppable' faced production challenges due to COVID-19
The film's journey to the big screen was not without its challenges. Jerome signed onto the project in 2019, just after he won an Emmy for his performance in When They See Us. However, the project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in filmmaking teams. The film finally gained momentum when Goldenberg showed the script to Ben Affleck while they were making Air, leading Affleck and Matt Damon to produce it.
Jerome underwent physical, mental transformation for 'Unstoppable'
Jerome underwent a significant physical and mental transformation to portray Robles in Unstoppable. He started training immediately after signing onto the project. Speaking about his experience, Jerome told Vanity Fair, "I think it's so special when an actor gets to portray a real-life person, the challenges that come with that and the justice that needs to be done." The film also features Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, and Don Cheadle in supporting roles.
Goldenberg's directorial debut with 'Unstoppable'
Unstoppable marks Goldenberg's directorial debut. After winning an Oscar in 2013 for editing Argo, he was approached about possibly directing but didn't feel ready until 2018 when producer David Crockett introduced him to Robles's story. "I loved the story," said Goldenberg, "But the thing that sealed it was meeting Anthony." "There's great athletes, and then there's special people—there's what makes somebody a champion. After I met him I felt like it was a story that I had to tell."
Robles's inputs to Jerome for the film
"[Jerome would] ask about wrestling—getting introduced to it, how it made me feel when people were staring at me growing up, how it made me feel and when people will treat me differently," Robles told Vanity Fair. "To be honest, it was something that was difficult to talk about at first just because I got so used to putting up that shield wall in my own personal life, just not letting those things get to me."
