Surviving ‘Babylon’ Unscathed with Star Jovan Adepo

Babylon, the latest epic from Whiplash director Damien Chazelle, tackles many issues about the golden era of Hollywood. Chief among them are issues dealing with blackface and the horrible way people of color, even celebrities, were treated within the industry.

These challenges are seen through the eyes of many of the film’s characters — from Diego Calva’s Manny Torres to Li Jun Li’s character Lady Fay Zhu. But none more harrowing than that of star Jovan Adepo’s character Sidney Palmer, a jazz trumpeter who achieves superstardom. We were lucky enough to chat with Adepo about some of the harrowing scenes he and Chazelle collaborated on, as well as his role in the film overall.

Adepo, as an actor, is known for choosing terrific performances in films and shows that tackle race head on, from his stellar performance in Fences to his Emmy-nominated portrayal of Will Reeves aka Hooded Justice from HBO’s Watchmen. And once again he has chosen a role in a film that tackles the sensitive issue of race and revolution within the golden era of Hollywood filmmaking.

Check out what he had to say about the role of Sidney Palmer in our interview here:

Don’t forget to catch Babylon, only in theaters this Friday, December 23!