“13-foot tall Black Man in Oakland.”
That’s how “I’m a Virgo” creator Boots Riley pitched his latest show to actor Jharrel Jerome. “This is the wildest title to an email I’ve seen. I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Jerome tells PvNew‘sAwards Circuit Podcast. A week later, Riley was in his hotel room, with a briefcase painting a picture of how this show would look like – and he had mini figurines so Jerome could have a visual.
And yes, Jerome was concerned, he thought he’d be acting in front of a green screen all day long. But that wasn’t the case. Riley — who had the entire show mapped out in his mind, long before the streaming service was involved — wanted to do everything practical and in-camera. As part of that presentation, Riley showed how he’d use specific camera angles and incorporate miniature set pieces to make Jerome look like a giant.