Posted in: Exclusive, Horror, Interview, Movies, Shudder | Tagged: Jermaine Fowler, Night Patrol, rlje films, shudder

Night Patrol: Jermaine Fowler on Ensemble, Immersion, Vampires & More

Jermaine Fowler (Only Murders in the Building) spoke to us about his latest RLJE/Shudder horror film, Night Patrol, the ensemble cast & more.

Jermaine Fowler is always looking to find diamonds in the rough when it comes to his roles, and came upon a golden opportunity with Ryan Prows and his supernatural horror film Night Patrol, which follows an LAPD officer (Fowler), who must put aside his differences with the area's street gangs when he discovers a local police task force is harboring a horrific secret that endangers the residents of the housing projects he grew up in. The actor, who had memorable runs on the Paramount+ comedy Crutch opposite Tracy Morgan and in the Hulu ensemble murder-mystery series Only Murders in the Building, spoke to Bleeding Cool on getting to work with writer-director Ryan Prows, getting immersed in both the law enforcement and the inner city gang life of Los Angeles, and working with the ensemble cast that includes Justin Long, pro-wrestling superstar CM Punk, Nicki Micheaux, Freddie Gibbs, and RJ Cyler.

Night Patrol Star Jermaine Fowler on Supernatural Thriller, Cast & More

What intrigued you about Night Patrol, and how did you get involved?

I've been a fan of Ryan Prows since his first feature, Lowlife. I contacted him on social media, told him I'd love to get lunch with him, and we've been friends ever since, developing and writing stuff together. He sent me a script called Night Patrol. I read it, was desperate to be a part of it, and here we are.

What did you like about working with Ryan as a creative?

Ooh, the attention to detail. As an actor, I'm desperate for that. I need as much information as I can get, whether it comes from the director or my research. That's important to me, so Ryan made sure we did our police officer boot camps. We attended as many "Stop the Violence" meetings in Compton as possible. Those meetings were full of ex-gang members, gang members, and community leaders who gave me a lot of insight into LA and that world. It was helpful in building the character out.

What does a film like this let you do that you wouldn't typically be able to do?

Learn how to operate an AR-15. That was something I thought I'd never be able to learn. I also learned how to throw up gang signs, Crip walk, talk to CM Punk, share moments with Freddie Gibbs, and become friends with Justin Long. Justin and I had some amazing moments and scenes together, and I've been a fan, so it was nice to pick his brain and get to know his story.

What did you like about working with this ensemble?

One, I spent most of the film with Justin Long. R.J. (Cyler) and I had a few scenes together. I shared a couple of scenes with CM Punk. On paper, it's one of those casts, you go, "How'd they get all these people in a film together?!" And it excites me in that regard. Every single one of us saw the film for what it was and what it could be, so we took pay cuts, whatever things we were used to on big studio projects, we had to check that out the door, because we were here to make a gritty, vampire cop film from the ground up.

It felt like a grassroots operation. Whatever we were used to and comfortable with on certain sets, throw that out of the window because we had to do this for the love of the story, the director, genre, script, and each other. There was so much respect from every cast member. I remember talking to Punk about his life and trajectory from wrestling to film, Justin, and RJ…it was beautiful, man. All of us respect each other in the process.

What was the most difficult scene for you to film?

The most difficult scene in the film was the scene after I got beaten up by my mom (Nicki Micheaux). She kicked my ass, and I had to limp back to the car, which was a tracking shot. I remember having to play so many things: anger, pain, desperation, and determination to get my brother out of the incoming police raid that was ensuing. I also had to call for backup and then walk to the trunk and load my AR-15. We had to do that scene a few times, and I remember wanting to do it repeatedly, because I didn't feel like I got it, and it was a frustrating scene to film. There were so many things that had to go right within that moment, because it was transitional from the big action set that was coming up, so it was an important piece. I would say that was the most important or most difficult moment that I had to shoot in the film.

How do you feel about balancing the horror and dramatic elements of Night Patrol and playing in that sandbox?

It's a thin line between the two. For me, it's all about timing, capturing emotion, and all about making the audience feel something, whether it's a comedic moment or a horrifying moment, you're tapping into something, right? I love them both equally, and I feel gratified when it works out. That sandbox is a very big, fun, and messy one to play in. It's been great to see-saw, pun intended, both those sorts of things.

Night Patrol, which also stars Flying Lotus and Dermot Mulroney, is in theaters.

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