In Hollywood, looking good is often part of the job. That sentiment is amplified on the new series The Beauty, where a simple prick (and yes, we mean that on many levels) transforms ordinary people into hauntingly beautiful beings. With Jeremy Pope and Anthony Ramos on the “perfection” side of the program, it’s hard to believe this compelling screen duo ever struggled with real-life insecurities when looking into a mirror. But actors say they did and weren’t afraid to unpack that with EBONY.
“I remember when I was younger, I was what they call lanky — just arms and legs — and my nickname was Stringbean,” Pope shared. “I felt like I was growing into my features, whether it was my nose or my head or my body.”
Pope’s insecurities were heightened growing up with a professional bodybuilder as a dad.
“You look up to the man in your life that’s raising you, but he was this huge physical representation of what a Black man — a strong provider — should and could look like. So, when you are on the opposite end of that, you can draw insecurities about it.”
Pope has attained ideal physical attributes, but he admits that doubts can still pop up from time to time, which is normal. “Whether I’m in the gym or I’m putting on size for a role or for my personal life, sometimes I think, be bigger than a string bean.”
Ramos also grappled with appearance-based insecurities, like his “ears and freckles.” But the deepest cut came from those judging his speech. “When I got to college, people were like, ‘Why do you sound so ghetto?’” he recalled. “I didn’t feel smart enough sometimes.”
Instead of recoiling from those fears, Ramos leaned in. “I think your insecurities, if you don’t let them get to you, can become superpowers. I find it funny that now people are tattooing freckles on their faces and getting surgeries to have permanent freckles,” he chuckled.
These real-life friends, who have known each other for the past 15 years, both agreed that moving away from those perceived notions can make you feel whole from the inside out. “It’s all projection—what people project onto you, or sometimes, you project onto yourself,” Pope stated. “If you can begin to understand that the things that are ‘quote, unquote’ imperfect about you, that is what makes you beautiful. That’s what makes it nuanced and lived in and experienced.”
The Beauty premieres on January 21 on F/X.