Jerry Harris, the breakout star of hit Netflix docuseries Cheer, is “so happy” after being named “the gay black icon we need in 2020” by BET.
The 20-year-old member of the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team rose to fame when the group became the subject of the popular show, and he quickly became a household name and key figurehead in LGBTQ+ culture.
Speaking on the latest installment of Variety and iHeartRadio’s The Big Ticket Podcast, released on Thursday, June 4, 2020, Jerry opened up about being a role model for young children and how he’s been coping with his newfound fame as a student in a small college town outside of Dallas.
“Just hearing that from them makes me so happy because I love BET,” he told host Marc Malkin about the reaction from the network. “I definitely feel like it is a lot of pressure to live up to, but I want to be that person that everyone knows that can handle it and doesn’t let it get the best of me or take me from who I am.”
Jerry also hopes that his higher profile might help inspire younger people still struggling with their sexuality.
“I want to be someone that’s fearless, that’s confident to others, and that’s confident to themselves and believes in themselves, and just to tell them you can be who you want to be, and you can be who you are, because you are perfect and you are enough for anyone,” he added.
Listen to Jerry Harris’ interview below
THE LATEST
- Bryan Adams: Meeting Princess Diana was one of the greatest things to happen to me
- Male Model Monday: Mitch Walker, Mason McKendrick, Jacques Cohen, and more
- Podcasts You Should Know – Daniel Franzese takes us to church on Yass, Jesus!
- Amanda Bynes is back with her very own podcast
- Lee Pace, Brandon Flynn, Maluma, Zac Efron, and more Insta Snaps
- The Week in Drag – meet the queens of Season 16, Jinkx and DeLa spread holiday cheer, sage advice from Bob and Monét and more!
- Ryan Gosling is up for playing a ‘husky’ Ken if Barbie gets a sequel
- Meet Instagram hottie Flavio Valabrega
