Photographer Ty Mullen – Fashion Editor Antonina Getmanova – Talent Jeff Wilbusch – Grooming by Chelsea J. Augustine – Special Thanks to DISH Studios LA – Darkroom Color&Black&White – Interview by Melania Musci
Total Look Hugo Boss – Boots Christian Louboutin – Sunglasses Jacque Marie Mage – Ring Jeff’s Own / Total Look Celine – Ring Jeff’s Own
You often play characters with emotional depth and a certain mystery. When you approach a new project, what’s the first thing you look for in a story, or a character, to understand whether it resonates with you?
I don’t know if I consciously look for something specific in a role — at least not at first. When I read a script, I just let it affect me. It either resonates or it doesn’t. It’s like hearing a song and suddenly there’s that one part that makes you go, ‘Oh my God, I have to Shazam this.’ Looking back, I guess there are themes I’m repeatedly drawn to: characters with a quiet façade but a chaotic inner world, tormented people fighting demons from their past. Mystery, yes. And I love when a character goes through a big personal journey.
The title of your latest series, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, in which you star as Jules, immediately puts the audience in a pessimistic mindset, as if something terrible is always about to unfold. In your personal life, when you face something new, do you tend to see the glass half full or half empty?
In my life, when I face a challenge, I tend to see the glass half full — and then later I talk in therapy about why it’s half empty.
You’re the eldest of 14 siblings, and in the series you also play the older brother to Nicky and Portia. How much of your own experience shaped the way you built those relationships on screen? And what helps you create authentic emotional bonds when portraying family dynamics?
Yes, I’m the eldest brother of a very large family. I use aspects of myself, my life, and my imagination in my work — they’re all part of me. And I build relationships with the other actors by connecting with them and believing. In this case, the entire cast made it very easy. Haley’s writing laid an incredibly detailed foundation for rich, complex relationships. The Cunningham family is messed up, but they love each other. Things wouldn’t hurt so much if they didn’t. With love, there’s always a lot at stake. And to answer your second question: it’s really about the ability to believe that these people are my family.
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A central theme of the series is the idea of a soulmate. Do you believe in the existence and uniqueness of a soulmate?
I really don’t know. I think we’re all trying to figure that out — aren’t we? It’s one of the great questions in art and in life. I do believe in love, and I think the show has an interesting way of exploring the idea of a soulmate. When we first meet Jules and Nell, they’re about to get a divorce. But in the end, we realise they’re soulmates. Ironically, the couple who seemed least likely to be soulmates at the beginning ends up being the truest soulmates.
The presence of ‘The Sorry Man’ creates a major misunderstanding around Jules, and the legend becomes a way for his family to make sense of an unresolved childhood trauma. In your own life, is there something you turn to that helps you process and navigate what happens day to day?
Yeah. I love being out in nature. Horseback riding — I love horses. Working out. I’m into boxing. I also do some writing. You’ve returned to horror and thriller several times throughout your career.
What do you find creatively stimulating in stories that explore fear, tension, or the unknown?
This is the first time in a while I’ve done horror. Fear, tension, and the unknown keep me on my toes.
Is there a genre or type of character you’ve never explored but would love to experiment with?
Definitely comedy.
Actors often shoot scenes out of chronological order, which can be disorienting. Was there anything you only fully understood about the story, or your character, after watching the finished series?
No, because you do enough prep beforehand — you know each scene well, and you know your arc. But it was amazing to see the scenes I wasn’t in. The amount of talent everybody brought to the table was really incredible.
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You’ve also starred in a music video in the past. Would you be interested in taking part in a larger project connected to the music world? And if so, which artist would you love to collaborate with?
That’s funny — it was exactly five years ago that I shot those music videos. It was my first job in LA. I always wanted to be a musician, and there are so many artists I’d love to collaborate with.
Looking at the roles you’ve taken on and the places they’ve led you to, do you ever feel that some stories arrive in your life at exactly the right moment?
Yes, I do. I’m not usually the type who believes in things that are too spiritual, but it’s interesting how certain roles have come to me at very specific moments, maybe to teach me something. And it feels like a gift when it happens.