Q & A
Jersey Boy
Jason Biggs is proud of his Garden State roots
INTERVIEW BY CINDYSCHWEICH HANDLER
Jason Biggs likes the smell ofthe oil refineries near the Newark Airport . So much so , he wrote apoem about it . “ I wrote about the uniquely New Jersey experience of landing at Newark , driving past the oil refineries , and having the smelll hit you on the turnpike ,” he says .“ For alot of peopleple who only do that and then go to New York , it ’ s the only experience they have . Now when Ismell that smell , Iquite enjoy it .”
The poem , “ Scratch and Sniff ,” was includedd in the anthology , What ’ s Your Exit ? ALiterary Detour Through New Jersey .
But it ’ s not the only connection Biggs has tothe Garden State . Hewas born at Chilton Hospital in Pompton Plains , and , after spending 18 years on the West Coast , recently moved back to the East Coast with his wife , actress and author Jenny Mollen , and their sons , Sid , 4 , and Lazlo , 7months . Now the couple is sharing — and laughing over — their own childrearing experiences in their new game show , My Partner Knows Best , which premiered on Lifetime TV on April 25 .
We talked to Biggs about his home state , his career and how starring inAmerican Pie changed his life .
DO YOU THINK OFYOURSELF AS AN ACTOR , COMIC ACTOR , OR ACTOR AND COMEDIAN ? That ’ s agood question . I ’ m known for doing comic acting , which is great , and I love doing that . But Istarted many moons ago doing dramatic stuff , and Idomore of that now .
IS IT TRUE YOUGOT YOUR SCREENACTORS GUILDCARDAT
AT 10 FOR APPEARING IN APATHMARK COMMERCIAL CIAL ? Idid get aSAG card at 10 , but Istarted acting and got my first manager when Iwas 5 . Iwas following in my older sister ’ s agent-
footsteps . She ’ ssix to seven years my senior , and was in a dance group that achieved some success locally . The other moms took them into New York to act on Broadway , and my sister wanted to do that , so my mom agreed and got her an agent . When Iwas 5 , he asked if Iwanted to audition , and
30 MAY 2018 WAYNE MAGAZINE