Choir Boy’s Jeremy Pope on Pulling Double Duty in Ain’t Too Proud, His Dream Biscuits & Butterbeer Diet & More

Get ready, ‘cause here he comes! Rising star Jeremy Pope is making his Broadway debut as Pharus, the loud and proud lead of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy. Just four days after taking his final bow in the touching production on February 24, he’ll head to the Imperial Theatre to play Eddie Kendricks in the Temptations musical Ain’t Too Proud. Pope recently took time from his busy schedule to chat with Broadway.com about pulling double duty this season, how he and playwright (and Moonlight Oscar winner) McCraney spend their magical downtime in Florida and his go-to Seamless order.

Lights Up
The Orlando native started performing in high school. "I want to give it up to my drama teacher, Mrs. Brendel Horn," he says. "She was incredible. She allowed me to explore. The first show I did was Cats. I played Skimbleshanks." Nevertheless, the Jellicle junkyard wasn't what sealed the deal on a career as a performer: “My first theatrical obsession had to be In the Heights," Pope recalls. "When I was first living in New York, I didn't have a lot of money, and I second-acted In the Heights. I snuck in, and I went to the balcony. It was new, it was fresh. It felt like the style of music that I liked. That was a game-changer for me.”

Mischief Managed
Choir Boy scribe McCraney also hails from Florida, and the two have formed a strong friendship since the play bowed off-Broadway in 2013. “We're just a couple hours away from each other in Florida. So, any time we're home for the holidays, I hit him up and say, ‘We are going to Universal. My mom has hooked it up. She knows somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody and got us tickets,’" Pope explains. "Tarell is a HUGE fan of Harry Potter, so, I was very excited to take him to Harry Potter World. I believe this was right after the Moonlight Oscar win. The first thing we did was get the butterbeer. That was mandatory. Then we allowed Tarell to go in and pick his wand—that took some time because he wanted to find the right one. Then he had to get his Slytherin socks. It was a full experience.”

Getting Schooled
It's been six years since Pope first portrayed Pharus at MTC's intimate Stage II. Though the character is a student in the story, Pope has learned a lot from playing him. “Pharus has taught me how to be strong and to be myself unapologetically. He is so courageous. He's in a space and a place that is trying to tear him down for who and what he is. But he takes a stance," he explains. "Pharus reminds me that, in all the things that I am: I am beautiful. I am created with love.”

Double Duty
It's unusual to star in two shows in one Broadway season, especially with the first being his Broadway debut and the second a big-budget musical. How does Pope feel about all of this? “I was very anxious at the beginning the process. I was like, ‘I want to do two shows, but I don't want to be like struggling to get through it,’" he says. "I have such a great support system of people who just get it. I'm in rehearsals for one show, and then I have a small 30-minute break before I go do another show. I've locked in my brain that this is a moment to just be grateful and go day by day. I'm just trying to be present with both casts as much as I can because I know I'll blink, and this will all be over. I don't want to forget this feeling, the butterflies, the anxiousness, the exhaustion, all of the things I'm feeling. While it feels crazy, I'm over the moon with what I'm able to do.”

Let’s Get This Bread
Pope's schedule may call for major discipline—but that doesn't mean there's zero room to indulge. “I'm obsessed with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster," he says. "You don't know how many times I've been at the theater just sitting there, and I will Seamless a dozen Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster. I'm carbing right now! I need all the carbs. If it ain't Krispy Kreme original glaze, it's a Cheddar Bay Biscuit from Red Lobster.”

Almost Paradise
Eventually, Pope does plan to reward himself with a little R&R. “My dream vacation would have to be somewhere tropical, some island with a lot of heat, a little pool, little beach," Pope says. "Probably a little Krispy Kreme, a little Cheddar Bay Biscuit, you know?”

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Photos by Caitlin McNaney | Makeup by Rachel Estabrook | Video directed and edited by Alexander Goyco