Jake McDorman

Interviewed by Stacy Stewart Smith for Vestal

October 11, 2020, 12:32 PM New York, NY

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Hi Jake, welcome to Vestal Magazine! 

Jake McDorman __ Hey, Stacy, thanks for taking the time. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ You seem to be comfortable wearing casual printed tops, sleeping on sofas, and living simply. I’ve read so much about how you wanted to get away from the suburban lifestyle of your youth, but is it not true that you’ve come back full circle and brought that lifestyle with you everywhere? 

Jake McDorman __ You know, maybe that’s true. It’s true that I grew up outside of Dallas in a neighborhood that could be considered suburban, but I left home for Los Angeles when I was only sixteen years old. I spent most of my formidable years here in LA. I learned how to drive here, fell in love here, started working here, voted in my first election here—this is where I found my tribe, built a community. So, I think if there’s a lifestyle that’s been curated from the experiences of my youth, it’s as much rooted in CA as it is in TX. And maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s the moving around, the nomadic nature of this business that’s been a constant. Keeping my life packed into a suitcase. Living simply.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ I watched your performances in the “Limitless” series on Netflix. I became impressed with how you can transform into a likable character to whom anyone watching can relate. I believe that in your role as Brian Finch, you carved out a niche for yourself. Did you set out initially to shape this relatable image, or did it developed through various roles you’ve taken on?

Jake McDorman __ Thank you—that show was such a joy. For so many different reasons. If you look at the premise of the show itself, so much of it was about joy. Wish fulfillment. What could you accomplish? How exciting would that be? How much fun would you have? And that became the framework for Brian. He never lost that optimism and enthusiasm. The writers did a amazing job building that character around my strengths, and I was working with some of my favorite people. So, already you have this core group that you easily relate to, and they’re writing this incredibly relatable character for you to play with. There was a lot of me in Brian, and the show was a place where the two of us could meet every day.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Wow, that statement has a load of positive energy! It makes me want to go back and re-watch the series. Since I am on this subject of repeating things, let me elaborate further. Viewers are drawn to the same character types in each generation. For instance, Leonardo DiCaprio puts me in the mind of both James Cagney and Robert Redford. Contrastingly, your film image does not change your acting, yet you manage to compel viewers to believe you are the person you portray. How do you keep viewers focused on the character instead of yourself as an icon? You trained at Nancy Chartier and learned the Meisner Method of acting; did the experience have anything to do with your skill in this area?

Jake McDorman __ I don’t think that’s something that I’m ever consciously aware of. And maybe that’s because I don't have the problem of being an “icon“ so to speak. Maybe that would change if the world knows who you are. The only thing an actor has any agency over is the work. It tends to be what I try to focus on the most—when I pick a job, when I’m researching a character, it always comes down to the process and the work. How will this challenge me. Is this something I can do. Can I believe I am this person. How can I believe I am this person. How are we alike, how are we different. What would I need to do to bridge those differences. How would I need to sound. How would I need to look. And yes, learning how to trust myself through that process is definitely part of training with Nancy, it’s Meisner, it’s every job I’ve worked on—an accumulation of it all. 

Stacy Stewart Smith  __ You are rapidly becoming a big household name; what have you learned from your fans during the rollercoaster ride of fame? 

Jake McDorman  __ I think a household name might be pushing it, but I’m very grateful whenever anyone watches my work and enjoys it. I’ve been part of some projects that I really, really love. So it’s always great to have that same enthusiasm in common with people you’ve never met.

Stacy Stewart Smith  __ You state on Instagram that David Bowie inspired you as a child, adolescent, and adult. How has this fascination shaped your life and acting? 

Jake McDorman __ David Bowie, for me, for the longest time—was Jareth The Goblin King in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. I wore the tape out on our VHS copy of that movie. I mean, I was obsessed. He’s arguably at his Bowiest in that movie. With the tights, and the hair, and the makeup, and the crystals. It’s forever imprinted on my childhood. But see, that’s what’s so perfect about it. Tights, hair, makeup, crystals—I could be describing David Bowie at any time. And when I got to be a teenager, I started to discover who he was as an artist, a musician, an activist, an icon...and it absolutely blew my mind. I already had this David Bowie starter-set in my heart, and now I got to grow into adulthood with him. I was truly devastated when he died. It was a huge loss.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ I’m a big Bowie fan myself; thanks for sharing your memories. Speaking of which, some Vestal readers may want to know about your personal life. It appears that you love animals, especially cats. How many pets have been a part of your life? What is your fondest memory with a pet?

Jake McDorman  __ I grew up with a lot of pets. I think we had two dogs and five cats at one point. When I moved to LA, I wasn’t planning on having a pet. I could barely take care of myself. My mom was still living with me in LA part-time. It was her idea to get a cat, it’s always her idea. She brought home this snowshoe cat. He had a dark brown mask across his face and these ice blue eyes. Of all the names we went through at the time, I don’t know how or why Mr. Boo stuck, but it did. Over the next two years, my mom would come out less and less until I was officially on my own. And then it was just me and Boo. It was a genius move on her part, because having Boo demanded that I be accountable. I had someone who needed me, and I honestly needed him. Years later I got a roommate who put him on Vine and Instagram and he became somewhat internet famous. We grew up together. I was 16 when I got him, he lived 16 years. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ I was hoping to get you to talk about Mr. Boo. I viewed loads of posts about your adventures, including the last one with a photo of him donning a glowing halo. On a lighter subject, let’s talk a bit about life. You are the fourth man in your family tree to carry the same name. If you have a son, will you name him after yourself or go with a name that feels right for him?

Jake McDorman __ This is a question I ask myself all the time. It’s a lot of pressure, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll only have girls and I won’t have to worry about it. If I do have a son, I think I’d go for a name that feels right for him. If I have 5 sons and run out of ideas, he can be the fifth. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ (Laughing) You’re already a son and a brother, but are there any plans to become a husband?

Jake McDorman __ Definitely. No immediate plans, but it’s definitely something I’d like to be. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ What was it like working with Candice Bergen on the CBS revival of “Murphy Brown”? Playing Avery’s role must have been a great honor; did Candice treat you as if you were a member of her family? 

Jake McDorman __ Candice and Diane both—really the entire cast, but Candice and Diane absolutely welcomed me into what felt like a very close family. That show is very special to me. It helped sculpt who I am politically, and right now, I almost can’t think of anything that’s as important to me as that. Diane turned me on to Pod Save America in our first meeting. We must’ve talked for over an hour about everything. Candice and I clicked right away. It was an instant rapport. I was taking care of Boo that year when we were shooting the show. He had gotten very sick before he died. So, I wasn’t able to travel out of NY for the Thanksgiving holiday. I had to be there with him. She invited me over to have Thanksgiving her family so I wouldn’t have to spend it alone. It was very kind, it was a very special Thanksgiving. I love them all dearly. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ You portrayed a math teacher in the five-time Academy Award-nominated film Lady Bird. What does it feel like to sit in the audience at the Oscars? This film is a great project that has been acknowledged by the Academy. Were you upset about the outcome of the evening?

Jake McDorman __ I actually wasn’t at the Oscars for Lady Bird. I went to the Oscars when American Sniper was nominated. Despite what people might think, you don’t get to go to the Oscars just because you were in a movie that was nominated. The amount of people it takes to make a film, let alone ten Best Picture nominees, could easily fill a football stadium. So you only go if you’re nominated, presenting, or a guest of someone who is. When I went in 2015, even though I had a movie up for Best Picture, I was actually there to support Red Carpet Green Dress. It’s a woman-led organization founded by Suzy Amis Cameron in partnership with The Academy that brings sustainability to the fashion and apparel industry. The work they do to help put our planet first is so important, they’ve been making such good progress. I was so happy to go in association with their efforts. But being there, at the Oscars, is very exciting. It’s a live event, all the best artists in the industry are there, millions of people watching—it’s a surreal experience to be in the auditorium after watching it at home for so many years. American Sniper, Lady Bird—you always want your people to win. But usually, all the nominated films are such great company to be included with that I could never be upset to lose to one of them.

Stacy Stewart Smith __When America’s space explorations were budding in the late 1950s through the 1960s, so was much social unrest. When you studied for your starring role as Alan Shepard, in the series “The Right Stuff,” did you experience a moment and think at how parallel the backdrop of civil rights was to Shepard as Black Lives Matter is alive today? After all, Shepard, who was part of the Mercury Seven and the first American astronaut to travel into space, lived in the time when the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also changed history. 

Jake McDorman __ This is absolutely something I wish was part of our show. And, you know, in a way, the show reflects a period of history, especially American history, when there was a serious lack of representation for people of color, to put it mildly. But that’s not to say there weren’t black stories in America going on at that time—there were. Of course there were. Even with the space program. Dorothy Vaughan and the human computers at NASA, Katherine Johnson that calculated Shepard’s launch. In a second season, if there is a second season, those stories or even stories about the racial segregation that was going on at the time need to be told. This didn’t come into play as much for me during my research to play Shepard. As much as he was a product of his time, it was important for me to isolate him as a character. Read about his childhood, his family, his work. Try and get inside his mind. Use the script and the version of the man in the script as a framework to then shore up with the research.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Aside from the fact that he paid a dealer one dollar for a new Corvette as part of a moving marketing campaign, what have you discovered about Alan Shepard as a man and historical figure since taking on this role in “The Right Stuff”?

Jake McDorman __ He worked as hard as he played. He was a very methodical worker, which, some might not assume because of his cavalier, devil may care personality. He worked hard. If he wasn’t the best at something, he’d obsessed over it and practice it until he was. It wasn’t all natural. Even if that’s what he’d want you to believe. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Jake, you’re a hard-working actor. I hear that you’re the lead in an upcoming romantic comedy Happiest Season, coming to theaters November 25th. Can you elaborate a bit on your role and the plot?

Jake McDorman __ I wouldn’t say I’m a lead of this movie—it’s an all star cast and I’m far from the top of the list. But I adore this film. It’s about a young woman who plans to propose to her girlfriend while at her family's annual holiday party, and while she’s there she discovers her partner hasn't come out to her conservative parents. I play her partner’s ex boyfriend from back home who’s still very much in love with her, and also doesn’t know she’s gay. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Do you have any advice for young aspiring actors?

Jake McDorman __ Try to find any way to act. Whether it’s class, school, a play. It’s something you’ll never master. It’s always changing and evolving as you do. So never miss a chance to workshop your craft. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Jake, it was a pleasure.

Jake McDorman __ Thanks again to everyone at Vestal.

(sic)