Exclusive interview with Jonathan Tucker

Foto: Jonathan Tucker - Copyright: SAG Foundation
Jonathan Tucker
© SAG Foundation

December 9, 2015 | If you've watched the star-studded Hell's Kitchen drama "Sleepers" from 1996 you will never forget the eyes of the four boys sentenced to serve time at the Wilkinson Home for Boys. One of those boys was played by Jonathan Tucker and still his eyes grow nothing but even more expressive, if they tell of the inner struggle of his fiery but thoroughly honest character Jay Kulina on the MMA drama "Kingdom", or if they give the slightest hint of just how dangerous his young gunslinger Boon on the Kentucky crime drama "Justified" is, or if they show the sparkling wit of his confident politician Bob Little on "Parenthood". Jonathan Tucker's characters are fascinating, the intensity of his gazes captivating. He kindly made time to answer our questions and we simply love the way he talks about his work!

Spoiler alert: The interview contains questions about "Kingdom" season 2 episodes that haven't aired in Germany yet!

Note: © myFanbase 2015 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first two questions (up to 180 words) if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the writer's name and link to this site.

1) Special guest Jay's Sunglasses is here to ask the first question: Jonathan, my man, let's get down to business. I'm piling up Twitter followers while Jay is wearing me more and more like a shield these days. What's up with that? Is he trying to hide his soul, the hurt?

Sun, style, sadness.

2) Jays relationship with Christina is taking a really drastic turn this season. Seeing him shoot up with heroin was hard. But what was Jays motive? Is he still trying to protect his mother or is it more like punishment at this point?

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

3) We feel that in season 1 Nate and Jay were a lot closer than in season 2. What do you think changed?

Nate and Jay are as close as ever, but Nate's internal struggles have isolated him more in season two.

4) What we love about your character is that he and Alvey are very close without even realizing it. Both of them are a fighter first. So why aren't those two closer?

Alvey and Jay are foils to each other, in many respects. But whereas Alvey has an inability or refuses to see the world as it is (the wounds he has inflected upon his family and, in turn, himself), Jay is open about his demons and shortcomings. "I'm an addict, but at least I know it."

Foto: Nick Jones, Jonathan Tucker, Matt Lauria, Kingdom - Copyright: DirecTV
Nick Jones, Jonathan Tucker, Matt Lauria, Kingdom
© DirecTV

5) What we love most about the show is that the moment you think you figured out a character, they do something that blows your mind. How hard is it to play such an unpredictable character?

The foundation of Jay is rebar and concrete. It's deep and pure and immutable. What the audience sees is built upon that. It's the sliver of iceberg above the ocean's surface.

6) Another fascinating point about the "Kingdom" characters are the codependencies in their relationships. Do you think Ryan and Jay have been completely independent in their friendship? And is that now changing as Jay wants to proof something in fighting Ryan?

Ryan is my true friend. Steel sharpens steel. It couldn't have happened any other way.

7) Byron Balasco created this show with a very authentic environment. Can you tell us a little bit about his way to work with the actors?

Byron's singular voice is what sets "Kingdom" apart from other stories on television. He's an auteur in the vein of Matthew Weiner and Vince Gilligan.

As a dance partner, he sets the music and I come with my laces tied tightly. He's one of the most talented, dynamic, and honest artists I've had the privilege of working with.

Foto: Jonathan Tucker, Justified - Copyright: DirecTV
Jonathan Tucker, Justified
© DirecTV

8) Another very special show you were on this year is "Justified". We talked to Walton Goggins about the show a while back, he said "It's a world that really interests me, a tonality that I like to play in and a complexity that is a rarity in television." Did you feel similarly about working on "Justified"?

I've long admired Walton's work and I couldn't agree more with his sentiments regarding "Justified" It was a thrill and honor to join the final season of Graham Yost and Elmore Leonard's world. Shooting a film or tv show is a lot like robbing a moving train: you have to come wildly prepared, terribly confident, highly empowered, and entirely open to changing your game plan on the fly. This train had the momentum of six seasons and a extraordinarily talented cast & crew. I had to gallop the hell out of that horse.

9) "Hannibal" is yet another extraordinary show you played an intruiging character on. There's probably no other show on tv that is more stunningly beautiful to watch, let alone a show portraying a serial killer. From script to screen what was your impression from working on this show?

Bryan Fuller is yet another of these auteur voices in television. When they ring: pick-up. Bryan dove into the character of Matthew Brown with me and I was gratified beyond words that the audience responded to that collaborative experience.

10) "Sleepers" has been and always will be one of our favorite films and it's certainly one of the best films of the 90s! What do you remember best from filming it? Was it hard as a kid actor to work with that material?

I recall that film with great fondness and clarity. It was a seminal ride for me both as kid and as an actor. It's hard to tease out where the man ends and actor begins. We are a product of our journey and all those stories that we're told each and every day.

On "Sleepers", my latin tutor was a local priest and we took lessons in central park, I played defense in games of basketball with Robert De Niro, my cleaning lady at the Radison Empire Hotel cried when I tipped her after our three month stay concluded because she would finally buy a new pair of shoes, I studied New York accents with Barry Levinson. I was thirteen. I learned a lot. I'm still learning.

Thank you so much for making time for us, Jonathan, we wish you all the best!

Nicola Porschen and Nicole Oebel - myFanbase

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