Older interview:
Jackson Rathbone, star of Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a man who wears many hats. The talented star, who plays Jasper (Whitlock) Hale in the Twilight series films is an actor, a musician, and, it appears, a comedian of sorts.
I had an interview with Jackson, who was ranked in the top ten of the IMDb STARmeter last week, where he candidly shared details about his rise to fame, his current projects, and his future, and added a little humor to the mix along the way.
About his start in the entertainment industry, I asked Jackson, “You got your earliest start with Pickwick Players doing musical theatre, right? What was it about that group that got you interested in joining them?” Jackson answered, “Pickwick Players at ole’ MCT in Midland, Texas, was my rough beginnings.” Says he, “my parents made me join the program because I wasn’t making friends at school when our family moved to Midland, and my sister had joined the group. I started off as a tech-guy, building sets and running sound and the lighting boards . . . then I noticed the guys on stage were [the ones] getting all the girls, so . . . there you go.” Apparently, then, Jackson’s earliest start in the acting world was inspired by his love of the ladies.
When Jackson finished school, he decided to go to Los Angeles, California, instead of following through with his original plans to attend the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburg, Scotland. Rathbone, who is no stranger to the international arena (having been born in Singapore and living in Indonesia for a while), said that it was “blind luck . . . and chance.” Says Jackson, “I moved to L.A. for the summer to work on music as a songwriter . . . but my manager, Cutler Management, started a lot of work for me when I had no resume, so . . . I stayed to become an actor . . . thanks to fan support!”
Since moving to L.A., Jackson’s entertainment career has blossomed nicely. Starting out with parts in The O.C. and Close to Home, Rathbone eventually made it to the big screen in Molding Clay and Travis and Henry before being cast as Jasper Hale, the “newest vegetarian” sibling of the Cullens (played by co-stars Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Peter Facinelli, and Elizabeth Reaser). Since then, his number has skyrocketed, and fans cannot wait to see Jackson reprise his role as Jasper in The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
In fact, Jackson is currently in Vancouver, Canada, filming New Moon, but that hasn’t stopped his band 100 Monkeys from hitting the scene and taking the stage. 100 Monkeys, who are known for their unique and tenacious sound, have tours planned throughout April and May (schedule on their MySpace page).
About 100 Monkeys, I asked Jackson Rathbone about how they are coping with his Twilight success and notoriety and still plugging away. Jackson said, “we all just love playing music . . . the fame and notoriety helps us afford this endorphin addiction. We all are just plain excited people actually love our music . . . ‘cause we love playing it.” Despite his busy New Moon filming schedule, the band plays on, it seems.
About the film, I asked Jackson Rathbone, “In New Moon, your character is supposed to take a bigger bite (pun intended) into the series, with Jasper showing his more thirsty side. How are you preparing yourself for these scenes?” Jackson replied, “for that pun, you should be ‘pun’ished . . . I haven’t had a drink in 35 days.” Clever fellow, he is.
With his wit in mind, I decided to ask Jackson about a concern that some fans, myself included, had about the potential for inconsistencies between his character in Twilight and New Moon. I asked, “In Twilight, Jasper was dancing around the fire while Bella bled out from her James-inflicted wounds, and in New Moon, a little papercut is supposed to send Jasper over the edge. Some fans worry that this inconsistency will de-legitimize some of the scenes in New Moon. How are you and the crew planning to handle this?” Jackson says,
It’s all in the old saying, ‘Location, location, location . . .’ Once you realize the immense animalistic impulses a vampire has, you realize . . . every little thing is more intense. The smell from a vampire-burning bonfire, the adrenaline from the kill, and the exhaustion from the chase . . . basically, in terms of scent, the difference is between a dance studio filled with smells [of] burning and violence, as opposed to the Cullen Family living room, which is filled with the smell of birthday cake. There is no inconsistency, don’t worry.
Guess that's one New Moon scene we avidly expected (see here) that we won't have to worry about anymore!
Despite his accelerating stardom and ever-growing fanbase, Jackson has remained a complete gentleman to his fans as well as the media, so I asked him “how do you keep such a warm smile on your face amidst all the Twilight chaos?” Put simply, Jackson replied that “in the monkey kingdom, baring one’s teeth has a different connotation. Beware.”
Jackson, whose smile may or may not have a double-meaning, will be featured in this summer's TwiCon festival in Dallas, Texas. I asked him if he was looking forward to it, and he said that he’s “only been waiting since last summer!”
After New Moon wraps up, Jackson Rathbone will be taking on a new and different role as Sokka in M. Night Shyamalan’s up-coming film The Last Airbender, a film based on the award-winning Nickelodeon Asian-inspired cartoon series that mixed martial arts with elemental manipulation. Sokka, Jackson’s part, was a 15-year-old warrior from the “Southern Water Tribe,” who goes on a mission to defeat the Fire Lord. Sokka, quite appropriately, was a character known for his sense of humor, and described himself to be “meat-loving.” Sokka is also known to wield a boomerang and a sword and was frequently the butt of his companion’s jokes.
I asked Jackson about his upcoming role in The Last Airbender, and how he was preparing himself both mentally and physically for the role. Continuing his knack for repartee, Jackson says, “I’ve been training in various styles of Kung Fu since December, and I love it! It connects the body and mind in a way a textbook could never achieve . . . I can kill from 10 feet away with a spear . . . Purty sweeeeeetttt . . .” Best to stay back, then, fans – not only does his smile deceive, but he also has been brushing up on his martial arts and spearing capacities (that goes for you, especially, paparazzi).
On a more serious note, I asked him if he had any advice for up-and-coming actors who might want to be as diversified and calm as he is. He said, “Appreciate that everything in the world has lined up perfectly in order for you to exist . . . Take five minutes to yourself, and count everything little thing you have to be thankful for . . . it’s good for the soul. And, anytime you feel despondent, fake a smile for exactly one minute, and then you’ll laugh at how ridiculous it all is.”
Jackson added to his fans, “I wanna thank each and every one of you for existing! Without you, I’d be acting in an empty theatre . . . again. Much love, and respect.”
Article----------------------------------
Another old-ish one:
In an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com, Twilight cutie Jackson Rathbone opened up on everything from his love of Vanilla Ice to which of his co-stars can bench-press the most weight. And he also shared a super-cute family photo, taken when he was just a tot!
RadarOnline: Your character in Twilight, Jasper, is so withdrawn and cold. Do you think fans are a little hesitant to approach you in public? Especially compared with some of your castmates?
Jackson Rathbone: People rarely recognize me, which is actually pretty sweet. I try to change my look in every role I take on: clothing, hairstyle, walk, facial expression, and the way I speak. Sometimes it's subtle and sometimes it's not, but as I am not a blonde in real life, people often do the double look before approaching me.
RO: You said in a recent interview that all the Cullen guys worked out together in the hotel gym during filming. So tell us: who can bench press the most?
JR: That would be Kellan [Lutz]. He truly is Emmett.
RO: You live in a house with other members of your band, 100 Monkeys, in Hollywood. What’s the hardest part about being roomies with two other guys?
JR: The smell.
RO: When can fans expect 100 Monkeys’ new album to drop, and how would you describe the band’s sound in one word?
JR: Our EP should be coming out in two or three weeks on iTunes, with three singles from our full length album, and a special surprise if you order the CD directly from us! Our full length album is set for release in the fall of this year. 100 Monkeys sound is "onomatopoetic."
RO: What’s the most embarrassing song on your iPod?
JR: There's nothing embarrassing about "Ice, Ice Baby". It's just a great song.
RO: Your next movie is The Last Airbender, which is based on a Japanese animated series. Have you done any cool stunts for the film?
JR: I've been doing a lot of Kung Fu training and I've had to do a good deal of fighting in the last few weeks. It's a lot of fun, but my band mates are tired of me trying to Kung Fu them before and after shows.
RO: You have a tattoo that reads “I’m Lost…” Is there a story behind it?
JR: Yes. Check out
http://www.spencerbellmemorial.com and you'll get a good glimpse.
RO: You’re the only boy among four siblings. Did any particular feminine traits or habits rub off on you after growing up in a houseful of sisters?
JR: No. I got stuck with all the masculinity. I taught my sisters how to fight.
RO: You’ve said the cast members of Twilight and New Moon are really close, so what’s one thing about each of your co-stars you think might surprise people?
JR: None of them are vampires in real life! Gasp!
RO: When the cameras aren’t rolling, how do you and the rest of the Twilight crew blow off steam?
JR: I believe there are usually two or three guitars on set at all times. We all get down with a little music, though some of our styles and tastes are a bit different. I've been digging on Spencer Bell's solo album, Feudal, Brutal, and the American Dream, (available on iTunes), number 13 is my favorite song. (Photo: Jackson Rathbone / WENN)
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