Jovan Adepo gained significant recognition for his role in HBO's The Leftovers, where he adeptly explored themes of faith and loss. His dynamic performances continued with a key role in Denzel Washington's acclaimed adaptation of August Wilson's Fences, Darren Aronofsky's 2017 psychological thriller Mother!, and a standout turn in Damon Lindeloff’s 2019 Watchmen adaptation. Most recently, you can find him as physicist Saul Durand in Netflix's sci-fi drama 3 Body Problem, and in a brief-yet-potent supporting turn in Azazel Jacobs’ award-season contender His Three Daughters.
More: Actor Jovan Adepo and the 3 Body Problem (The Treatment, 2024)
For his Treat, Adepo shares “Lush Life,” a favorite song introduced to him by his film and jazz connoisseur father. Adepo first encountered John Coltrane's 1961 rendition, but it was the 1963 collaboration with vocals by Johnny Hartman that deeply moved him. He quickly picked up on the lyric version’s themes of lost love and alcoholism. Describing it as one of the darkest-yet-most-beautiful pieces of jazz he’s ever heard, Adepo reveals that it often finds its way into his work. He listened to this version of “Lush Life” repeatedly while preparing for his role as Sidney Palmer in Babylon. He even found himself holding up production on the set of 3 Body Problem because he and others became so consumed with singing the song all the way through.
This segment has been edited and condensed for clarity.
One meaningful piece of music that I would like to share is a song from John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman called "Lush Life".
The one that John Coltrane did by himself was the first one that I heard. But then I was scrolling through Spotify and I found what I thought was the same album, but it had Johnny Coltrane with Johnny Hartman. And I was like, 'I don't think I'm familiar with Johnny Hartman.’ When I actually heard Johnny Hartman's lyrics accompanying John Coltrane's [music], I was torn. I was destroyed because it's such a sad song, but [it’s] just so honest and open and raw.
It is probably one of the darkest pieces of jazz music that I have heard, but it's one of the most beautiful songs at the same time and it was something that I played a lot while I was preparing to play Sidney Palmer in Babylon. It was an album that I was introduced to by my dad, who is a connoisseur of film and music — especially jazz. So getting an opportunity to use that album, and specifically the song "Lush Life,” preparing for a role that I was really, really honored and excited to have earned and get a chance to play was something. [It] is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
I remember singing that song, or singing Johnny Hartman's lyrics, in the last episode of 3 Body [Problem]. It was during a camera change or a different setup, and me and Benedict Wong (Benny) and one of the showrunners — Dan Weiss — [we] were [all] sitting outside by the pool at the little hotel scene. I started singing it, and Dan is a big music guy as well, Dan Weiss, so he came over and started singing with me. The three of us were literally just holding up filming because we had to finish singing that song. It's just such a beautiful song. And it was really nice to get to share that moment with Benny and Dan.
[Johnny Hartman] entertains the ideas of losing love and alcoholism, and just in such a short amount of time that it’s really beautiful, and it's one of my favorites. It's definitely one of my favorite, favorite albums and songs.