Jack Harlow makes star turn in 'White Men Can't Jump.' What he said about the new movie

So, can Hometown Hero and multi-Grammy nominated rapper Jack Harlow also act?

Fans of the 25-year-old Louisville native, who released his third studio album, "Jackman.," in April, will have that question answered Friday when "White Men Can't Jump" premieres on the streaming platform Hulu.

"White Men Can't Jump" is a remake of the 1992 sports comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes. The 2023 version was directed by Calmatic who also directed the remake of the 90s comedy, "House Party."

Filmed in Los Angeles, "White Men Can't Jump" is Harlow's first feature film and the latest achievement in the Atherton High School graduate's career. In fact, during our interview prior to the release of the film, Harlow told The Courier Journal the experience reminded him of the best parts of being in school growing up in Louisville.

"I keep telling people it reminded me of school because you just show up at a time you're told to show up, and someone else is in charge. And you have no choice but to befriend everyone you're around," Harlow said. "It's really quite wonderful. It was like school or summer camp. And it was the first time I felt that since school."

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Besides the opportunity to ask Harlow about his experience making "White Men Can't Jump," The Courier Journal was able to screen the film prior to its release.

So can the Kentucky rapper also act? Spoiler alert, the answer is a resounding yes!

In the film, Harlow plays Jeremy, one half of a pair of Los Angeles streetball hustlers and in the role, he is funny, endearing, quirky and believable. He also appears to be a darn good ball player, but how much of that is movie magic we may never know.

Besides providing great entertainment, "White Men Can't Jump" is also a film about the friendship between Jeremy (Harlow) and Kamal Allen, played by actor Sinqua Walls.

Like the entire cast, which includes Laura Harrier, Teyana Taylor, Myles Bullock, Vince Staples, and the late Lance Reddick, Walls commented on Harlow's impressive acting debut, which he said was evident even before the pair arrived on set for the first day of production.

"One of the things that really meant a lot to me is [Harlow] called me a couple of days before the first scene and I think that speaks volumes," Walls said during the interview. "He's like, 'Bro, let's just go over the lines because I don't want the first time that we work together to just be the first time we actually speak.' And even though it's his first [film], he's really professional and he's really seasoned. I worked in this business for a while, had a lot of castmates, and I can honestly count on my hand the people that have called me, and he's one of them."

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As for Harlow, he said the generosity of the cast toward "the new guy" is something he will always treasure.

"The first day was definitely a feeling-out process. I think the very first scene we shot, it was almost weird," he said. "We were just feeling each other out on that first take. And it low-key got real 'cause we were just like, 'yo, who is this guy?' But after that, it was really smooth, you know? Great chemistry. I think everyone sees it."

"White Men Can't Jump" was filmed during a busy time for Harlow, just after the release of his second studio album, "Come Home The Kids Miss You," in 2022.

"I had just dropped an album and I was in the whirlwind of the music industry," Harlow told the Courier Journal. "And the way the schedule was set up, as soon as the album came out, I was to come out here and shoot this. So, it was such a beautiful escape from kinda the place I was in. And I really think I needed it mentally and emotionally just to get out of the monotony of music."

Fans of Harlow's music career will appreciate the film's cameo appearance by NBA player Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat. In 2020, Harlow's song "Tyler Herro" was released as a lead single from his debut studio album Thats What They All Say. And, be sure to stick around for the film's credits which feature another chart-topper from the same album, "What's Poppin."

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As for "what's poppin" next for Harlow's acting career, according to a report from Deadline, the Louisville rapper is already making his next move. He'll round out the cast of the all-star ensemble of Apple Original Films' "The Instigators," starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. The A-list ensemble also includes Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Ron Perlman, Alfred Molina and Michael Stuhlbarg. Doug Liman is directing.

But first, "White Men Can't Jump," which in our opinion is just the beginning of Harlow's promising acting career, premieres Friday, May 19, on Hulu. We'll be rooting for the "First Class" hitmaker's debut from the sidelines and can't wait for what is next in his music and acting career.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville's Jack Harlow stars in 'White Men Can't Jump' Hulu movie