Home Rich Brian Wants to Join the Cast of ‘Euphoria’ and ‘The Last of Us’

After making his acting debut in ‘Jamojaya,’ he specifically wants to play Jesse in ‘The Last of Us.’

Rapper Rich Brian, aka Brian Imanuel, has big acting ambitions after making his feature debut at Sundance 2023. He leads Jamojaya, a film from award-winning Blue Bayou director Justin Chon and writer Maegan Houang. It tells the tale of an aspiring Indonesian rapper who heads to the U.S. to sign with a major record label only to find himself in a struggle with the money-hungry suits and his grieving, controlling father who is unwilling to step away from his son’s career. The film has earned praise thus far, particularly for its strong performances, signaling a potential future for Imanuel in the industry. Collider’s own Perri Nemiroff spoke with him about what his plans for the future are and if there are any roles he’s pining for in particular.
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Imanuel attested to the challenge of making the pivot to acting. Although he’s appeared in his fair share of music videos, stepping in front of the camera for the emotionally intense Jamojaya demanded a different kind of focus and stamina. He addressed the rigors of dedicating himself fully to a role but also confirmed he does see himself continuing down the path of an actor. Imanuel explained:

It was crazy, it was fun, but it was a new experience and you work so hard as an actor. That’s one of the things I learned is acting is really, just mentally, just like you’re on it for however long you’re shooting for, and you just focus on that only. And that is definitely something I would like to explore, but I also am like, I have no idea what kind of roles I want to play. You know, I think after this it’s a good time for me to take acting classes because not every shooting opportunity [is] gonna be with a director who’s okay with giving me a month of rehearsal and, you know, being that comfortable on camera. So that’s a skill I’m gonna have to keep sharpening.

Image via Sundance

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Rich Brian Cites The Boys, Euphoria, and The Last of Us as His Dream Roles
Now that he can add “actor” to his resume, Imanuel noted that there are several TV series on right now that he wishes he could join. “I will say there are a few shows I watch here and there where I get so into that show’s world that I would do anything to be a part of that show’s world.” Nemiroff then asked for a few examples. “One of them is The Boys,” he said. “I really like The Boys, and I felt that way when I watched Euphoria too, but I think a part of it is me feeling like I missed out on going to high school.” Chon jumped in to note that he could also see Imanuel joining Zendaya and company at East Highland High.

Like so many out there, Imanuel is also a major fan of HBO’s The Last of Us. The series is being hailed as one of, if not the greatest video game adaptation of all time, posting record-breaking viewership numbers and hitting new highs each week. Imanuel has loved the story since playing the original games and even has a role in mind. “I see myself in certain shows and this one that came out recently is The Last of Us. I love that show and I played both of the games. So if you want me to play Jesse, I’m down.”

Jamojaya premiered at Sundance on January 22nd, earning both Imanuel and his co-star, Yayu A.W. Unru, high praise for their work.