Alumnus Jahlil Wallace makes it in Hollywood

By Amiyah M Rice

Entertainment Editor

Crete-Monee alumnus Jahlil Wallace started his career at sixteen, knowing he wanted to be in film.

Crete-Monee High School alumnus Jahlil Wallace headshot courtesy of IMDB.

Jahlil spoke to the Journalism classes on September 27 about his rise to Hollywood as a stuntman and taking on roles in such productions as Mike, Rebel Moon, and Ironheart.

He graduated in the class of 2019, and after, he moved to California at eighteen to pursue his dream as a stuntman and actor. When Wallace moved to California, it was just a few months before COVID-19 hit and shut the world down. But Wallace didn't let that stop him; he kept training and working on himself to improve.

Wallace said he loves stunt work because he gets to "perform, can grow to perform, and loves action and movement." He prepares to do a stunt by "training, studying rolls, and knowing to be physically prepared."

He said he still gets nervous while filming stunts because he's still in front of people but he gets over it quickly. He stays focused by putting his head down and likes to think to himself.

His favorite part about his job is "the fun, and it pays well." He said that he believes "People take the job too seriously,"

Wallace said he still needs to figure out how to manage his personal and work time, but he'll let you know when he does. However, he said his job is "difficult and stressful" at times. Jahlil also got his real estate license and has traveled on about 150 flights to California, Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, and Louisiana this past year.

People may have seen Jahlil in MIKE, a mini-series that premiered August 25, 2022, on Hulu; if you haven't, it's "Focusing the lens on Mike Tyson, the series examines class in America, race in America, fame and the power of media, misogyny, the wealth divide, the promise of the American Dream and ultimately our role in shaping Mike's story," according to the description on Hulu.

He is also known for the series Ironheart (2023), Star Trek: Picard (2023), and an upcoming movie called Rebel Moon, which will appear on Netflix later this year. For people who love Fortnite, he also did a short production for CausePlay IRL: St Jude X Fortnite (2021).

He was also in the shows called "The Chi" and "61st Street," but that isn't all he has done; he has performed in many more stunts and acting for other series and movies.

Jahlil said he is most proud of helping "my family and friends financially."

Play the video to watch clips of Jahlil's stunts.