Jack Harlow to be known as ‘actor who raps well,’ says ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ director

Musician Jack Harlow made his acting debut with Hulu’s White Men Can’t Jump, directed by Calmatic, which is a remake of the 1992 original.

At the film’s Los Angeles premiere on May 11th, 2023, Calmatic talked to The Hollywood Reporter about Harlow’s acting and how he ended up with the role.

“No matter what he does, it doesn’t feel fake or forced,” he told the outlet. “I think once he started acting and things got real on that end it was like, yo man, he’s doing his thing, this is special.”

The director went on to praise his acting chops telling the rapper that he will soon be known for his acting rather than music. “I was telling him, ‘I think 10 years from now, you’re going to be Jack Harlow the actor who knows how to rap well,’ so hopefully that’s what it is.”

The newly released movie is the remake of the 1992 basketball classic of the same name which starred Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes.

Harlow takes on Harrelson’s role, while Snipes’ part is played by Sinqua Walls. While Walls was a basket player growing and the First Class musician, 25, wasn’t, they went through extensive training.

“We definitely put Jack Harlow through the wringer,” Calmatic shared. “We were like, ‘Hey, man, you got to go train real quick.’ So, he was training in between his tour dates and that all ended up being amazing. He came to the court ready to go, man. He killed it.”

Walls had similar praise for Harlow, noting that since it was the rapper’s first time acting, “if he needed me, I was there. We talked extensively but one of the things about him is he’s so naturally talented, he already has a lot of the things you can’t teach. And it was just amplifying that in those moments, and he did that.”