BGN Film: 10 Things You Should Know About Jermaine Fowler of ‘Sorry to Bother You’

By Tejah Wilson

I had the opportunity to interview Jermaine Fowler who plays Salvador in the new film, Sorry to Bother You. Fowler is a comedian, actor, and writer most known for his role in the CBS sitcom Superior Donuts. There are several things that I found out about Fowler and his character from the film. He is an actor we all need to be watching for. 

A Jokester 

In Sorry to Bother You, Fowler’s character Salvador is Cassius Green’s best friend and co-worker. Fowler says that he is a lot like Salvador, a jokester who tends to diffuse situations with humor. After watching the film myself, I can definitely say that Salvador is indeed hilarious and a great comedic addition to this interesting film. Although Salvador is a jokester, as Fowler said, he does stand up for his beliefs when needed.

Sorry to Bother You is Important

Fowler seemed very excited to have been a part of this film. He mentioned that we never see people of color playing these roles.  He also said that this movie might open up the doors for more Black surreal fantasy films. It may help bring more diverse films, in general, featuring people of color.

8 More Facts

Here are some facts I learned about Jermaine Fowler, and some other interesting things he told me about the film.

1. There are a lot of messages to take away from Sorry to Bother You. Jermaine said, “a lot can be taken away…culturally, socially, politically, racially, romantically, [there’s] too many things in this movie in a good way.”
2. It’s a genre-bending film. These days movies don’t usually fit into one genre and this film is no different. It is sci-fi but as Jermaine said, there are elements of almost every genre in the film. There’s a lot of suspense, there’s horror, comedy, and even animation. Every genre you can think of has a place in this movie thanks to Boots Riley’s eclectic mind.
3. He’s inspired by classic Black comedians. Jermaine Fowler looks up to Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Mike Epps, Wanda Sykes, and Richard Pryor when it comes to stand-up comedy.
4. He does not like romantic comedies. That speaks for itself. 
5. He loves to sing. Fowler actually incorporates songs into his standup. Could we see a musical in the actor’s future?
6. He used to work in the mall. Yes, the mall. Don’t hate. We all have to start from somewhere. Where was your first job?
7. If he wasn’t a comedian and actor, Fowler would be a 5th or 6th grade teacher. The class clowns would have some serious competition. I bet no one would sleep in his classes.
8. The man is grinding, but can’t give details. Fowler is currently working on many projects that he didn’t go into too much detail about. He is directing and writing in addition to the acting. Right now, he’s doing a stand up tour and working on his next comedy special. Stay tuned for that!

You can catch Jermaine Fowler in Sorry to Bother You, in theaters everywhere July 13. You can also catch BGN’s review of the film here.