In neighborhoods such as Freeridge that are overwhelmed by crime and police activity, stories of black teens like Jamal Turner (Brett Gray) on Netflix’s On My Block have too often been marginalized or portrayed as young thugs, with their humanity stripped and innocence distorted. That’s why 14-year-old Jamal has been such a refreshing image for so many audiences. While his friends Monse (Sierra Capri) and Ruby (Jason Genao) are dealing with heavier issues including exploring their sexuality and overcoming gun violence, Jamal has remained just a regular, extremely goofy, Goonies-loving kid. Well, one that at the end of last season concluded his “scavenger hunt” and discovered a very large amount of money that criminals left behind after robbing RollerWorld, the local skating rink.
“Out of everybody on the show, Jamal still hasn’t lost the innocence of being 14,” Brett tells Teen Vogue. “Ruby’s gotten shot. Cesar [Diego Tinoco] and Monse are in love. But Jamal’s main goal since season 1 has been the RollerWorld money and this scavenger hunt. He’s the one that reminds me that they’re still 14 years old. I think it’s the contrast of seeing Jamal doing his thing in comparison to the world around him. There are some people who have to grow up quicker and there are some people, like Jamal, who are still in the middle of that transformation.”
But after everything that happened in the nail-biting season 1 finale—Ruby getting shot at his friend Olivia’s (Ronni Hawk) quinceañera, where she was fatally shot, and their friend Cesar (Diego Tinoco) fleeing the Santos gang—Jamal has meanwhile been forced to confront the reality of being a 14-year-old finding stolen money. On one hand, he’s proud to have accomplished a major goal but on the other, he’s terrified about what to do with the cash. But the treasure, albeit very illegal, has given him the confidence to demand attention from his friends who have been so preoccupied with their own drama that they’ve neglected Jamal. The teen who used to fake injuries just to get out of playing football last season has totally stepped up his game, and Brett is here for it.
“I really appreciated Jamal this season because he stuck up for himself a lot more,” the actor says. “Last season he just dealt with the fact that they didn’t always appreciate him. But this season he was more like, Uh, Hello! Do you see what I’m doing? So I’m proud of him for being a little bit more confident. I think he’s starting to realize that it’s okay to assert yourself and to make people value you. I felt like at some point in every episode he was saying all the things that I wanted to say as Brett.”
Seeing himself in Jamal was exactly what drew Brett to the role. That and challenging himself as a physical comedian, which the often outrageous character requires. “I was so scared to play Jamal because I had never done a comedy before,” he admits. “I was like, I don’t know if I’m funny.” But comedic scenes (like Jamal losing his pants after jumping inside a Goodwill bin to recover the money) forced Gray to abandon all self-doubt and just got for it. “I was able to get out of my head a little bit,” he adds. “I mean, when you’re angrily walking down a highway in tighty whities in a hundred degrees, you kind of just have turn your mind off and live in that moment. So it’s fun.”
The role also gives him the opportunity to emulate some of his black comic idols. “I thought it was really refreshing to see a black male character portrayed this way,” he says. “I grew up watching Will Smith and Eddie Murphy and I remember feeling so connected to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It felt like such an opportunity to tell that story again for our generation. Just, you know, not having to be so hard all of the time. When I was 14, I was neurotic and crazy and ambitious, and I also had that innocence.”
Brett, who’s also a singer, channels some of that youthful spirit in his songs such as “Worth It,” which evokes the powerful message of appreciating people for what they have to offer. It’s a theme that he carries throughout his career both on screen and in the recording studio as his star continues to rise. And he shows no plans of slowing down, despite the obstacles he’s encountered being a young black talent in the industry.
“I have all these big dreams, like I want to write feature films and produce content so that I can get the roles that I always dreamed of without someone else giving them to me,” he says. “But I’m learning how hard it is to bring these things into fruition and how little opportunity there is for people of color.” Still, he’s hopeful about the future of young Hollywood and how his peers like Trevor Jackson have paved a way. “These roadblocks are shifting as we are taking initiative. There’s a transition on the rise.”
Related:
-On My Block Star Jessica Marie Garcia on Nailing That Iconic Dance Scene From Season 2
-Sierra Capri Loves All the "Girl Power" In On My Block Season 2
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