Jeremy Pope not only stars in Ryan Murphy’s “The Beauty” on FX, which airs its finale on Wednesday, but he also serves as an executive producer, and has the golden smile to show for it: a classic 12-tooth gold grill.
Mr. Pope is the first Black actor to be nominated for two Tonys in the same year, and has been nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Grammy. He has been the face of Calvin Klein and Fendi campaigns; he has walked the runway for Gucci and Savage x Fenty. Next, he’s set to play Jean-Michel Basquiat in an upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway show “The Collaboration.”
In an interview that has been edited and condensed, Mr. Pope described the classic gold grill that he wears as energetic armor, and a homage to his family, his culture and his golden-toothed grandmother.
Tell me the story behind your grill.
I grew up in Orlando, Fla. I consider it the South. And a lot of my family members, when you had a little extra money or you were feeling yourself, it was: You go get you some gold. I remember, maybe at 9 years old, getting my first gold chain, and how I thought it was cool, but everyone else around me was so excited, like, “You got your first gold chain!”
I remember there was this market, this flea market, down in Orlando that I used to shop at only with my grandma. And we would go, and we would get all our Southern favorites. We’d get fried fish. I have this thing that I love called hot sausages. They had the gold shop, and you would go there, and you would check out all the pendants, the necklaces, and there would be grills. I was always fascinated by the grills and the diamonds and the fact that it was a process that you’d have to go and get fitted for. Mind you, my grandmother, who’s of a different generation, they didn’t just wear grills: They had permanent gold and silver teeth in their mouth.
When did you decide it was time to get your grill?
I was in L.A. I was working on a project, a photo series I was shooting called “Flex.” I was exploring masculinity and femininity through the lens of growing up with a father who’s a bodybuilder. I was like, this is the perfect moment to go down, get me fitted for a grill.
Did you go into this process with a specific vision?
I had selected my gold. I was torn between, Do I want diamonds? You lose the plot a little bit. But I reeled it in. I was like, I think I just want my classic gold, and that’s what I got. I did top six and bottom six. Basically, it’s most of the teeth you see when I smile.
How did it feel to have your own grill made?
It felt like a homage to my culture and the South and growing up in the South, and this idea that you’re doing big things.
How do you feel when you wear it?
When I wear my grill, it evokes a different type of confidence within me. I think sometimes we have pieces of armor, whether that’s jewelry, clothing, skin care, hair products, whatever it is for you that help us, that guide us closer to that energy and vibration, that remind us of that energy.
Growing up in the South, most people I knew or saw, you were almost outside if you didn’t have a piece of gold or silver on you. That was just kind of standard. It’s like wearing socks.
You’re carrying on a tradition.
It’s something fun and playful and just rooted in our culture. Older people in my life, they’re wise, and I listened to stories of what it meant to be Black in America growing up, finding success. We’re talking about “The Beauty” [the show], but what did the beauty look like? What did confidence look like? Where did it come from? And it’s important for me to understand my DNA, my culture, my history.
What did your grandma think of it?
She loved it. She said, “That’s fly.” And that’s the ultimate approval. She don’t have to say nothing more. It’s like, if you know, you know.
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