Yet again, I have Hallmark to thank for introducing me to a fresh, young talent who was recently featured in an endearing Christmas movie on the network. If you had the opportunity to watch A Homecoming For the Holidays this past holiday season, you will probably remember Jesse Irving as Eric (if not, keep reading). Recently, I had the opportunity to interview this rising star, and it is my honor to feature our chat with my readers today!
RH: How/why did you decide to pursue a career as an actor? What kind of training have you had to help you prepare for this career?
JI: To be honest, my pursuit as an actor was a total curve ball. I was blindly taking general business classes after high school, and it wasn’t until a few years of that flew by that acting ever crossed my mind. In retrospect, it’s surprising that it hadn’t because I had been extremely performative my entire life. I simply failed to connect the dots until a friend of mine somewhat jokingly suggested that we audition for an acting program he had come across. It sounded like a crazy idea, but at the time I had a pretty pathetic grasp on microeconomics and was generally unhappy, so I figured I had nothing to lose and it could be a fun distraction.
Little did I know, this joke of an idea would result in being accepted into the program and quickly finding a real love and passion for acting. The work didn’t feel like work and I had finally found a purpose of some kind. People like Garwin Sanford and Bette Chadwick, among others at the Langara Film Arts Program built a foundation and confidence in me and opened the door to meeting my incredible agent of four years, Deb Dillistone. From there, Dillistone steered me towards acting coach Deb Podowski at Austin-Tuck Studios, whom I have been training with ever since. Her coaching and friendship have completely elevated my skillset, my sensibilities and my well-being in ways words cannot describe. My two Deb’s and my community of actors at the studio continue to keep me afloat in this wild choice of a career.
What was your first professional acting credit and what are your memories about that job?
My first professional acting credit was the role of Garrett on a Fox network show called Second Chance. I booked the job a few months out of film school and it’s an interesting case because it was initially a single day of work for one episode that turned into a recurring role for four episodes. The way I see it, either I was doing something right by accident or the production made a mistake and continued to bring in the wrong guy. But nonetheless, I was technically an actor all of a sudden. I was ecstatic and it didn’t make sense to me, but I was enjoying every second of it. I got to shoot guns, kiss a girl, be a badass villain, wear eyeliner, meet great people and completely abuse craft services. It was heaven on earth for me.
One of your first major roles was in the show Arrow. What was that experience like for you?
My experience working on Arrow was fantastic. One of the highlights was that I worked alongside Michael Emerson from Lost as his son, and it was a gift to have time with such a seasoned industry veteran. His performance came with such ease, and to be on the other side of that was of so much value to me. Also, he was just a lovely person to talk to. I’m grateful that he gave me the time of day to talk shop and at the very least, he left me feeling incredibly inspired.
Your first Hallmark movie was Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder In D Minor. What did you know about Hallmark before making that movie? How was that first Hallmark experience for you?
All that I knew about Hallmark at the time was that a lot of people watched them, that they were fun movies to make and that all of my friends were booking them, so naturally I wanted one. Garage Sale Mysteries: Murder In D Minor ended up being the first and I had a lot of fun. It was an extremely relaxed set with a lovely cast and crew and as I remember, we were shooting outside in the summer so the sun was keeping everybody happy. Needless to say, I was welcomed with open arms by the Hallmark family.
You also had a role on an episode of Project Blue Book. What did you enjoy about being a part of that show?
My time working on Project Blue Book was a joy for its variety of challenges. I was lucky enough to work with director Pete Travis, whose work I am a fan of. This made the opportunity very cool, but herein lies the first challenge. Right off the bat, I was more nervous than usual going out for the role, and to make matters sweatier, he asked me–without warning–to improvise a phone call with my characters fiancé in the callback audition. And I must add that Pete is as intimidating as he is talented.
Next, before we started shooting I had to learn how to drive a 1950’s pickup truck for a few scenes. I spent an entire day stalling this truck all over the studio parking lot and infuriating the poor guy teaching me, but it all came together by the time we were shooting. It didn’t make the edit, but I promise I drove impeccably.
Finally, I had a scene by myself in an airport control tower where I had a lot to do in one shot. The mechanics of the scene demanded more technical prowess as an actor than I had yet been faced with and it was rewarding to have gotten there. With that said, I still had the impulse to pull Pete aside in the lunch line to confirm if we had indeed gotten there. He simply said, “I know what I want. If we didn’t get it, we would still be shooting.” Project Blue Book gave me great opportunity to learn and that is the thing I enjoyed above all else.
Recently, Hallmark audiences saw you in A Homecoming For the Holidays. Please remind us of your character and feel free to tell us any special memories you had from filming this movie.
Yes! My character, Eric, is in the military and has returned to his home town Canyon Pass, Montana from a completed three-year tour of duty. As happy as he is to be home again with his older sister Charlotte (Laura Osnes) and loving parents Patty (P. Lynn Johnson) and Glenn (Jan Bos), he is faced with a decision that could potentially cause dispute within the family. The general consensus was that Eric would take over the family construction business upon his return, but he is having serious thoughts about re-enlisting. This dilemma is pondered throughout the movie as all of the family Christmas traditions take place.
Eric also becomes the through-line between Matt (Stephen Huszar) and Charlotte’s romance, as he and Matt are friends from serving together. This is one of the funnest jobs I have had thus far. A strong family dynamic among the entire cast was palpable from the first day and it only continued to grow. Apart from the surprisingly close connection I quickly developed with everyone, we just spent so much of our time laughing with one another. I still can’t stop thinking about the amount of hummus I witnessed Stephen Huszar ingest. If at any point we didn’t know where Stephen was, it was safe to assume that he was at crafty polishing off another bucket of hummus with whatever vegetable he could find.
What feedback did you get from the Hallmark fans regarding your first Hallmark Christmas movie?
People seem to love it! Other than fans obsessing over the incredibly talented Laura Osnes, myself included, some of my favourite feedback has been regarding how believable the brother-sister bond was between Eric and Charlotte. This is a massive compliment because Laura and I felt that it was a priority of ours to make that relationship crystal clear.
Any other upcoming works you can mention?
There are actually no upcoming works at the moment. I’m a clean slate, ready for whatever comes my way. I’m a phoenix rising from the ashes of Christmas dinner.
As we embark on a new decade, what are some of your hopes and dreams for the next few years?
I hope to continue identifying my weaknesses and refining my strengths as an actor through training, and through life. Ideally, the next few years will simply present more opportunities to work with inspiring people who will push my limits and capabilities because I know I have more tools to acquire. Let’s see what happens!
I don’t know about you, but I find myself quite impressed with Jesse’s talent, his intellect, and his humility. Moreover, his entertaining depictions, his quick wit, and his youthful exuberance enhance his charming persona, thus making him the ideal candidate to find success as a preferred working actor in this industry. While no one can predict the future in its totality, I do believe it is safe to assume that we have not seen the last of Jesse on our TV and film screens. He has partnered with some dynamic people in the business (both Debs are absolutely fantastic, by the way), and I look forward to what Jesse will be doing in the near and distant future. If you have not had the opportunity to watch A Homecoming For the Holidays, I would invite my U.S. readers to keep watching on Thursday nights this year when favorite Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Christmas movies will be replayed (Christmas in July will give fans another option to see this film). Additionally, if you are so inclined, please visit Jesse’s links below and consider following him via social media so that you never miss an appearance by this delightful, gifted young man. It is my honor to introduce him to all of my readers today, and I hope that everyone decides to join me in supporting Jesse in every step of his journey!
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