Clear The Runway: Rising Star Jonathan Jackson Gets "Lucky" As A Director
Soap In Depth Oct. 3, 2000 Rosemary Rossi
By the time that Jonathan Jackson put the third of his three Emmys on his mantel for his work as Lucky Spencer on GH, he already had people owndering, "Is there anything that this kid can't do?" And now the answer is in: No, there isn't anything that he can't do.
For his latest project, the short film Crystal Clear, the 18-year-old and his big brother, fellow actor Richard Lee Jackson, directed for the first time and wrote the screenplay, about a young alcoholic who is losing his girlfriend, his friends and family.
"What we were trying to examine was the perception of who we try to convince ourselves that we are and who we really are," explains Richard. "The character is in denial that he is an alcoholic. He is with-it on the surface, but we go inside a little farther." Adds Jonathan: "And all in 16 minutes."
With A Little Help From His Friends
The movie came together quickly once Richard and pal William Rotunno -- who plays the lead -- had settled on a concept. "We had this idea about doing a short, and it kept getting bigger," says Richard. "We wrote it and Will in mind -- we knew how talented he was. Then the story evolved on its own."
In particular, casting as a cinch: Rotunno's best buds are played by the Jacksons, Maurice Benard (Sonny) plays his sibling, and Tava Smiley (Chloe) plays his girlfriend.
Surprise Ending
Jonathan likens the finished product to "a giant home movie. To see it actually dont is weird, but cool."
Adds Richard: "You start off with an idea and by the time it's done, it's something different. It takes on a life of its own through everyone else's creative energy."
"As an actor," continues Jonathan, "I've said that the hardest thing to do is get out of the way of your performance. It's very similar to directing. You have to be prepared, but at the same time, a lot of things come up in movies. Things never go exactly as you have it planned. You have to just roll with it."
Dis-"Barred"
The Jacksons' challenge came when the night before a shoot, the location suddently became unavailable. "This is about an alcoholic so if we don't have our bar, we're not sitting real well," Jonathan laughs. "How can we pull this together without a bar?"
"If you don't go into it able to adjust like that, you'll spend your time freaking out," he continues. "Also, for us, we know that God is in control. he is the most creative person in the world and if He wants to do something differently, we'll go with that."
Openning Night
Last month, Crystal Clear premiered at the Brooklyn Film Festival. "It couldn't have been planned better -- it's Will's big debut on the big screen in his home state," notes Richard. "Since Jonathan and I are writing some shorts and some features, we're also going to use this tape to help convince [the powers that be] that we can do other things.
"If it does run the festivals, that's awesome," he adds. "But we're excited that we have something to show that we can put together a project."
As the Jacksons determine their next joint venture, they have established their production company -- Nine On The Break -- officially. "It's a pool term. You know, nine ball? Trying to get the nine ball in on the break is really hard to do. Sometimes it happens," Jonathan says. "It's a combination of skill and luck."
Coming Soon To A Theater Near You
Here's where you can catch Jonathan Jackson next!
Not only the the GH alum and brother Richard's short Crystal Clear get screened at the Brooklyn Film Festival, so did the indie True Rights, in which they both appear. "I got to play one of the lead characters," notes Richard, "and Jonathan got a supporting role. We also did some of the music for it. It won its first festival in L.A. called Dances With Films Festival. It won the Audience Award."
Plus, fans can look forward to seeing Jonathan reteam with his The Deep End of the Ocean dad, Treat Williams, in Skeletons in the Closet, which also features Linda Hamilton, but as yet, has no release date set. "It's a psychological thriller," explains Jonathan. "You don't know if the father or the son is a serial killer. It's about the relationship of a father and a son, but it's dark and twisted. [Richard and I] have a song in there, too."
Last but not least, The Smiling Suicide Club, starring Jonathan, is finished, but is getting a new title before its release late this year or early next year.
