Q & A
Local
James
Freedson-Jackson balances school, studying and sharing scenes withKevin Bacon
INTERVIEW BY LAURA ADAMS STIANSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE MARIE CARUSO
Q: How did you become involved with acting?
FREEDSON-JACKSON: It actually all startedat the Paper Mill Playhouse. I did the Summer Conservatory there for three summers and that wassogreat. Then, Igot cast at Paper Mill in Oliver, as one of the orphans. So I thought,“ OK, I want to be in musical theater.” But at the same time, I started working with my wonderful acting coach, Emily Bauer, and auditioning for film and TV, which led me to booking areally good role in Jon Watts’ thriller CopCar, opposite Kevin Bacon. We went to the Sundance Film Festivalwithitand Iwas hooked.
Q: Your most recent project is The Strange Ones. How would you describe the film, and what was your experience like filming it?
FREEDSON-JACKSON: It wasavery intensefive weeks. We worked upstate in the Catskills, and it was pretty isolatedupthere. The story is very dark, and alot of it takes placeatnight, which means thereweremany all-night shoots. Alex Pettyfer, who plays my brother, was fantastictoplayoppositeand alwaysfun. The two of us had a great time together. The directors, ChristopherRadcliff and Lauren Wolkstein, were the best. They knew exactly what they wanted, but also gaveme the freedom to get there myself, and to explore the character in my ownway – which led to some excellent moments. At the end of the shoot, we were all totally exhausted and sad togo home.
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FROM BIG SCREEN TO SMALL SCREEN( Top to bottom) James Freedon-Jackson starred alongside Kevin Bacon in the thriller Cop Car and played ayoung Kilgrave, aMarvel villain, in the Netflix series Jessica Jones.
COP CAR: COURTESY OFUNIVERSAL PICTURES; YOUNG KILLGRAVE: COURTESY OFNETFLIX
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