Black Lives Matter ‘can’t go on the back burner,’ ‘SNL’ alum says
“Saturday Night Live” alum Jay Pharoah — best known for portraying Barack Obama — has a way of putting COVID-19 into perspective.
Ask him about flying during these times and he opines, “People get off planes with these plastic shields over their faces looking like butchers who just cut some brisket.”
“I always wear a mask, but I will joke with people who don’t … I got a 96 on my corona test, so you don’t have to worry about me,” the 32-year-old says. “It confused them and they’ll put their mask back on.”
Pharoah has made the jump from “SNL” to movies. He stars in the new film “How To Fake a War” about an outbreak of peace that threatens rock star Harry Hope’s (Pharoah) charity concert. He insists that his PR expert create a fake war story and keep the fictitious conflict going until the concert is over.
It’s just one of many projects on the horizon for the native of Chesapeake, Virginia, whose resume includes “SNL” from 2010 to ’16, plus film roles in “Unsane,” “White Famous” and “Get a Job.”
Review-Journal: How are you handling these COVID times?
Jay Pharoah: I’m cooking. I’m cleaning. I had to turn my garage into a mini Amazon because I’ve ordered so much stuff. The little bit of space left in the garage has become my gym. My house has become my studio to do work. This has been an eye-opening time. It’s crazy, but I wake up every morning thinking about how it’s just a blessing to be alive. I swear, when I open my eyes, I say, “Thank you for allowing me to still be here.”
Has there been a moment that has really hit your heart?
Every single day when I wake up breathing. And I have such a deeper appreciation for family. I finally saw my mom and dad this July after not seeing them for so many months. We had a good time being together. I took a week to relax and really sit with them.
How else has life changed for you?
You don’t sneeze in public. You can’t do that no more. You got to hold it. You even go to sneeze and your friend will look at you like, “What’s the matter with you, man?” Otherwise, I haven’t been touching door handles for years and I’ve always used hand sanitizer. I tour so much that I can’t get sick and I’m interacting with so many people. They get all excited and want to come up and frivolously touch you. You gotta have your hand sanitizer.
On a serious note, you had an incident with police this year where you were out jogging and stopped by the LAPD because you matched the description of a suspect. You were told to lie on the ground and said an officer put his knee on your body and handcuffed you. You handed them your ID and asked them to Google you. And then they came back and apologized.
I like to run and I really like it now because they’ve closed the gyms. I did have a police incident, and it was scary. I’ve never been a guy in trouble. All of a sudden, I heard, “Get to the ground.” The description was a Black man in gray sweatpants and a gray shirt. I don’t know what else to say except I do think change is coming. It’s not just an issue of a few people anymore. A lot of people have made this their issue. It’s an uproar. People are upset about what they are seeing out there. I’m so glad so many people have reached out and folks are hitting me with the conversation. I’ve heard, “We didn’t understand a George Floyd situation or a Breonna Taylor situation until we heard it happened to you and now we’re beginning to understand it.”
Have you faced this kind of fear before?
It’s something Black people deal with every day. Just being Black means this happens. Of course, there are people who do commit crimes and do need to be arrested. But for the rest of us, the feeling is: Why are you messing with me? The only thing that helps is the feeling that change is coming. I just hope we keep our finger on the pulse and change continues to percolate. This issue can’t go on the back burner.
What was the appeal of “How to Fake a War.”
This was a great experience. I play this Kanye-esque character, and I got to work with a cast with a multitude of talent. And I got to go overseas to Ireland and shoot a movie where I was allowed to ad lib. They just let me run with it. I was like, “Man, this is a magical experience when the director trusts the actor and lets him have some fun knowing he’s going to deliver.”
Who do you play in “Bad Hair?”
I’m Julius, a self-absorbed pretty boy who is always looking in the mirror. He’s pretty much always looking out for himself. He’s also a womanizer, and I want it known that I’m not like that in real life. Put it out there. Thank you.
Will you return to “SNL” this season to play Barack Obama?
I’d love to return and play Obama. I hope to possibly host.
