Photo Credit: jermaineriversofficial.com
Jermaine Rivers, accomplished writer and actor, dreamed of someday becoming a superhero. During a recent interview, he reflected on the nostalgia of once having to use his lunch money to buy Marvel and DC comics as a kid. “… when I was a kid I spent my lunch money buying both Marvel and DC comic books. It was something that I have always had my eye on as a goal with the resurgence of the superhero genre in film and television,” Rivers exclaimed. “I have always wanted to bring a character to life, no matter which universe; it was always my goal.” Fortunately for Rivers, dreams do come true, as he was recently cast as the main character Shatter in the Marvel’s TV series “The Gifted.” He said, “Once I found out I booked the role, it was a dream come true.”
With the year of 2017 in its final stretch, Rivers has at least one more victory to be thankful for this year, as he will play an intricate role in the highly awaited film Hangman starring Al Pacino, which is set to hit the big screen this December. The well-versed television and film star has also accomplished an immense amount of accolades for 2017, and 2018 is only looking to get brighter for the actor. This coming January, Rivers is starting his year off right, as he will also be in the highly anticipated, new film Den of Thieves, acting alongside Gerard Butler, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, O’Shea Jackson Jr and other major actors.
Jermaine Rivers continues to set the bar high, and being an exceptional writer only adds to his many gifts. Rivers has written an epic book series titled Nemesis, first starting the book back in 2002 when he was deployed in Iraq. He continues to showcase his gift of acting and is set to get back on the television series “MacGyver” this upcoming January.
Rolling out interviewed Rivers to discuss his role in the Marvel series, his future projects in film and so much more. Read below for the exclusive interview.
Versatility is key in the acting business and you have landed many diverse roles. After all, you play the character of Shatter in the Fox/Marvel’s ‘The Gifted’ series. Tell us more about your role.
The role came to me back in July, initially I didn’t know that I was auditioning for the role. Especially since it was for Marvel, they kept it under wraps. Once I got the gig and I did my research on the character, I found out who he was and where he came from. His origin stems back from 2002, created by Geoff Johns and Shawn Martinbrough. [Shatter] is a part of a group of Mutants; his appearance is what really sets him apart. Early in his mutation he lost everything, Shatter was shunned by his friends and family and he went into a depressive state and tried to commit suicide. He is one of the lesser known heroes, but we’re sure we will change that hopefully within the next couple of years.
The highly anticipated movie, ‘Den of Thieves’ is set to come to theatres January 2018 and you play the role of Jackson, alongside Gerard Butler, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and more. Tell us more about the film. What can the fans expect from this new film?
If the fans have watched the trailer, which was just released, it’s going to be one of those movies that’s going to keep you on the edge of your seat. I had the pleasure of working on this film with these talented guys for three months. The writing, the action, the cinematography, it’s going to be the kind of movie that you’ll want to watch a couple of times. It had so much going on and Gerard Butler is brilliant in this film. 50 Cent, we did a couple of scenes together and he’s talented and O’Shea Jackson Jr, he is also a key in the film. It’s an action-packed movie, it’s going to be a fun film to go watch and it’s one that I will add to my collection. And after three months on the film I got to see all the pieces come together. I am super proud of the film and I can’t wait for the release.
By many standards, you can be considered a triple threat; actor, author, and publisher of your own company. First, how did you get into acting? Who or what was your motivation?
I officially hung up the publisher’s hat almost two years ago, but in terms of my acting motivation I have always loved film. I always like to sit down and watch a good movie especially the old movies, the silver age films back in the 40’s and 50’s. I was always captivated by that. Being a writer, it was already in my DNA to have a pension to tell stories. As an actor, you get to bring to life a scenario that people imagine. The acting is just recreating real life behavior in an artificial environment. When the opportunity presented itself [it was] a blessing. It was an accidental blessing. I came from the military and that is a huge character story. It’s so much drama and so many things that I have gone through that grounds my performance to this day. The military gave me a treasure trove of experiences, good and bad, that I can access. Once I learned the craft of acting and I learned character development, it was easy for me to make that transition because I already had those tools in my tool kit that I can use. Thank God, I was at the right place mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually to be able to do this thing that I love so much.
You are a distinguished author and have already self-published a three-book fiction series named, Nemesis. What compelled you to move into the realm of writing? What pushed you to write in the genre of fantasy?
I have been avid reader since I was young, and my father would say to me, “Everybody has a story to tell, everybody can contribute and tell their story.” I was at a place emotionally, spiritually, a difficult place in my life, and I started writing to make sense of everything. The books I was writing, those books are religiously inspired. I was in Iraq in 2002 when I started drafting the first pages of the Nemesis. I wanted to understand how there could be so much evil on this planet and to understand spiritual conflict you must go back to the beginning.
How can people stay in touch with you?
I am active on Twitter @JermaineRivers and Instagram @JermaineRiversOfficial
