Jason Earles Interview
Jason Earles talked to KOL's Hollywood Jana about the 'Hanna Montana: Pop Star Profile' DVD!
Jason Earles: Hey! How's it going?
Hey! Let's get started. What we can we expect on the 'Hanna Montana' Pop Star Profile' DVD?
Jason Earles: On this DVD, we get a chance to see Miley go through her first love experience. So, this is the "Jake Ryan" series of episodes. So we get to see everything for the first time for Miley -- her first serious boyfriend, her first kiss, the first time she kind of has her heart broken. I think it's a really cool series of episodes that hopefully kids can related to because it mirrors their own type of experiences. Their first love experiences.
It has some really cool bonus features on it. Like there's a really cool behind the scenes features about Miley's family and what it's like to work on the show and spend time with her family and her on-set family. And it's probably, of all the features I've seen that I've seen of behind the scenes, I think it's probably the best one and my favorite one I've seen. It really gives a good look at what her life behind the scenes is like.
Great. Can we get a glimpse of your behind the scenes? What's a typical day like for Jason Earles?
Jason Earles: It really depends on the episode for me. Sometimes the episode are really easy, so you know I'll rehearse for a couple of hours during the day and I'll hang out a lot watching the other scenes or I'll reading a book. Or I've got video games I brought in my dressing room. I kill time that way.
But the episode that I'm in a little bit more, we usually spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday rehearsing the scenes. And then anytime you're not rehearsing, you're up in wardrobe getting your fittings done for whatever the costumes are for that week. And then spending time in your dressing room or on the sets just trying to memorize the lines so you can do a very good time on the run-throughs.
Very Cool. Sounds like a very busy time. So what do you do when you're not on the 'Hanna Montana' set?
Jason Earles: I do a couple of different things. I love going to movies, so if I have a couple of days off, I'll always spend just like one whole day in the theater. I'll go around 12PM and I'll stay until 10PM and I'll see like, 4 or 5 movies that I haven't had a chance to see while I've been working. And then I'll play a lot of video games, cause I'm sort of a loser that way.
That's a lot of sitting around, so I try to do some active stuff too. I love to play Ultimate Frisbee. I like to go jogging. Just being outside in general is good. The sun is good.
So, you play video games. What kind of video games do you play?
Jason Earles: I play a little bit on the computer, but the thing I play mostly now is my Playstation 3. So, I'm sort of a Playstation fan. I have the original and the Playstion 2. I have the Playstation 2 in my dressing room and the Playstation 3 at home. I play a lot of sports games and role playing games on the Playstation.
Cool. And you say you go online. Do you play games online?
Jason Earles: A little bit. I'm sort of intimidated. I just figured I just don't have a lot of time to be really, really good at the online gaming. And I know that there's people who spend 14 hours a day doing it and I'm afraid I'll go online and get my butt kicked. So not as much.
You also mentioned movies. Have you seen any movies that you loved this summer or any you're looking forward to?
Jason Earles: I've really loved the blockbusters. I love the summer season for movies. People thought that maybe 'Pirates' and 'Spider-Man 3' were a little too long. But I'm sort of like if I'm going to spend 10 bucks to see a movie, give me two and half hours of movie. I really liked those. I'm looking forward to 'Transformers.' I really like those blockbuster sort of movies.
If you character was ever to become a pop star like his sister, what would your alter-ego name be?
Jason Earles: We did a little play on this in one of the episodes this year. We had this fantasy sequence where Miley lost her voice and she wasn't able to be Hannah Montana anymore, so Jackson became Bucky Kentucky. He was sort of like an Axl Rose, rock star, sort of guy. In the dream sequence, Bucky Kentucky wasn't very nice, so I hope if Jackson would be like a rock star he would be a little nicer that he was in that one episode.
Are you anything like your character, Jackson?
Jason Earles: Yea, a little bit. I think we are both really good friends and pretty happy-go-lucky. I was probably a little more serious of a student in school than what Jackson is. He seems to be distracted all the time. But grade were really important to me and I took school very seriously, so that's probably the biggest difference. But I think if we were at a party, we would be competing for attention. We both have that personality.
What were your favorite subjects in school?
Jason Earles: I loved math and science. I did the theater obviously -- the acting stuff. But as far as the regular, traditional subjects -- math and science I thought were great. They described so much of the world around you. If you're good at those two subjects, the world around you makes a lot more sense.
So if you weren't acting, would you be doing something with math and science?
Jason Earles: Maybe. I would probably either be in some sort of science related field. I'm not sure what that would be. Maybe some conservation biology sort of field. But if I wasn't acting, I would probably would get my masters and try to teach at some small, private liberal arts college to a smaller group of students and teach theater.
Do you have any desire to sing like you TV sister, Miley?
Jason Earles: I always wished that I could sing. But nobody would ever pay to listen to me to sing. I've done a couple of things, like I've produced some summer theater where we'd do these vaudeville numbers. For those ones, it was more like the characters -- coming up with a big sort of funny character. If the singing wasn't great, it didn't matter because the sketches were funny. So I'm good at that sort of stuff. But a solo album that people would grove to your tunes, that's not me.
Speaking of music, what's playing in your iPod right now?
Jason Earles: I've got a very eclectic mix of playlists in my iPod. My favorite song right now is that 'Hide and Seek' song by Imogen Heap. It's really good. I also listen to Coldplay, the Fray and Death Cab for Cutie. I like a lot of indie sort of stuff.
We get this questions a lot from our users, how did you get into acting and do you have any advice?
Jason Earles: The very first play I ever did was 'Hansel and Gretal' in the third grade. I played Hansel. I came from a really big family, so I did this play and my whole family came to watch. And this light bulb went off and I was like "Oh, if I'm in plays, it's the one thing I'll do where I'll know I'm going to get all the attention," so that's what sparked the desire to act.
As far as trying to do it for a job, I moved to Los Angeles and I did a bunch of extra work and stand-in work to try to learn the technical side of the business -- like the cameras and marks and that sort of stuff. And then I took some local classes and got a referral for my first agent. I went on a billion auditions before I booked anything. Then it slowly, slowly evolved and slowly happened.
Do you have any plans for the summer?
Jason Earles: We unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, we shoot until September 21. We'll work through the official summer-summer. But once we go on our break in the fall, I probably do a little traveling. I've got a bunch of friends in Montana that I'd like to go visit. And my family lives in the Pacific Northwest and that's where I grew up, so I'm looking forward to getting up there and spending some time with my parents and brothers.
If you were a cookie, what type of cookie would you be?
Jason Earles: Uh, if I was a cookie, what type of cookie would I be ... I would probably be a chocolate chip cookie mixed with M&Ms, 'cause M&Ms are my favorite candy. I like traditional things like chocolate chip cookies -- good old fashion, rock solid cookie.
You're on the Red team for the Disney Channel Games. Your team is currently in the lead! Congrats!
Jason Earles: Thank you.
What has been your favorite challenge?
Jason Earles: The favorite event I was in was probably Simon Says, which hasn't aired yet. The reason why I like Simon Says is because you take 30 of us and it really is a one on one on one. You have to focus and pay attention and that's the only requirement. Just do what you hear. So it is sort of a one on one battle.
Other than 'Hannah Montana,' what is your favorite Disney Channel Show?
Jason Earles: I like the 'Shorty McShort Shorts.' The short little cartoons are sort of off beat and funny.
What has been your favorite episode of 'Hannah Montana'?
Jason Earles: My favorite episode has been one called 'My Boyfriend's Jackson and There's Going to Be Trouble.' I pretend to date my sister in order to get a bunch of free stuff. I push it too far and Miley gets all crazy with me. It was one of the ones where I first heard what the concept for the episode was, I was like "Are you crazy? I'm dating my sister. That's never going to fly." But it ended up being really funny in the end.
Who are your top celeb crushes?
Jason Earles: I think Scarlett Johansson is just perfect in a dress. And the standard Angelina Jolie, you can't go wrong there either. Ha ha. I think I could stare at those two for hours.
A lot of fans look up to you, but who do you look up to?
Jason Earles: A non-famous person I really look up to is my dad because he's an amazing man and incredibly hard working and has a great sense of loyalty. He taught me how to treat my family and friends and how to approach a job, so I really look up to him as a man.
Professionally, I look up to Michael J. Fox. If I could have a tenth of the career Michael J. Fox has, I would be so thrilled. I think we're the same sort of guy. Sort of slighter in built, we look young, we have different senses of humor and I just really look up to him with all the work that he's done. I would love to work with him or be in something that he thought was cool. I look up to him quite a bit.
What's coming up this season on 'Hanna Montana'?
Jason Earles: Season two is pretty cool because all of us kids are in the same school now. They went from eighth to the ninth grade and so we're all in high school. We get a chance to interact a little bit more at the school. Rico turns out to be a little kid genius, so he actually in the school also, so now instead of just tormenting me at work, he's also tormenting Miley in class, which is sort of fun.
This season isn't so much about hiding the secret. It seems like in season one, we spent a lot of the time hiding the secret from people. And this year, it's more the living. You know, Miley is experiences from day to day and it's not about hiding. It's really just watching both sides of her life, which is cool.
You've guest starred on 'Phil of the Future,' are there any other Disney Channel shows you'd like to guest star on?
Jason Earles: I think 'High School Musical' would be fun, but then again, I don't have the vocals. I really like Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song, especially Brenda. She's been on my Disney Channel games team for the last two years. So I think it would be very fun to go to that show ('The Suite Life of Zack and Cody') and get a chance to work with her a little bit.
You never know. Thanks for all your time today Jason.
Jason Earles: No problem. Thanks.
Jason Earles: Hey! How's it going?
Hey! Let's get started. What we can we expect on the 'Hanna Montana' Pop Star Profile' DVD?
Jason Earles: On this DVD, we get a chance to see Miley go through her first love experience. So, this is the "Jake Ryan" series of episodes. So we get to see everything for the first time for Miley -- her first serious boyfriend, her first kiss, the first time she kind of has her heart broken. I think it's a really cool series of episodes that hopefully kids can related to because it mirrors their own type of experiences. Their first love experiences.
It has some really cool bonus features on it. Like there's a really cool behind the scenes features about Miley's family and what it's like to work on the show and spend time with her family and her on-set family. And it's probably, of all the features I've seen that I've seen of behind the scenes, I think it's probably the best one and my favorite one I've seen. It really gives a good look at what her life behind the scenes is like.
Great. Can we get a glimpse of your behind the scenes? What's a typical day like for Jason Earles?
Jason Earles: It really depends on the episode for me. Sometimes the episode are really easy, so you know I'll rehearse for a couple of hours during the day and I'll hang out a lot watching the other scenes or I'll reading a book. Or I've got video games I brought in my dressing room. I kill time that way.
But the episode that I'm in a little bit more, we usually spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday rehearsing the scenes. And then anytime you're not rehearsing, you're up in wardrobe getting your fittings done for whatever the costumes are for that week. And then spending time in your dressing room or on the sets just trying to memorize the lines so you can do a very good time on the run-throughs.
Very Cool. Sounds like a very busy time. So what do you do when you're not on the 'Hanna Montana' set?
Jason Earles: I do a couple of different things. I love going to movies, so if I have a couple of days off, I'll always spend just like one whole day in the theater. I'll go around 12PM and I'll stay until 10PM and I'll see like, 4 or 5 movies that I haven't had a chance to see while I've been working. And then I'll play a lot of video games, cause I'm sort of a loser that way.
That's a lot of sitting around, so I try to do some active stuff too. I love to play Ultimate Frisbee. I like to go jogging. Just being outside in general is good. The sun is good.
So, you play video games. What kind of video games do you play?
Jason Earles: I play a little bit on the computer, but the thing I play mostly now is my Playstation 3. So, I'm sort of a Playstation fan. I have the original and the Playstion 2. I have the Playstation 2 in my dressing room and the Playstation 3 at home. I play a lot of sports games and role playing games on the Playstation.
Cool. And you say you go online. Do you play games online?
Jason Earles: A little bit. I'm sort of intimidated. I just figured I just don't have a lot of time to be really, really good at the online gaming. And I know that there's people who spend 14 hours a day doing it and I'm afraid I'll go online and get my butt kicked. So not as much.
You also mentioned movies. Have you seen any movies that you loved this summer or any you're looking forward to?
Jason Earles: I've really loved the blockbusters. I love the summer season for movies. People thought that maybe 'Pirates' and 'Spider-Man 3' were a little too long. But I'm sort of like if I'm going to spend 10 bucks to see a movie, give me two and half hours of movie. I really liked those. I'm looking forward to 'Transformers.' I really like those blockbuster sort of movies.
If you character was ever to become a pop star like his sister, what would your alter-ego name be?
Jason Earles: We did a little play on this in one of the episodes this year. We had this fantasy sequence where Miley lost her voice and she wasn't able to be Hannah Montana anymore, so Jackson became Bucky Kentucky. He was sort of like an Axl Rose, rock star, sort of guy. In the dream sequence, Bucky Kentucky wasn't very nice, so I hope if Jackson would be like a rock star he would be a little nicer that he was in that one episode.
Are you anything like your character, Jackson?
Jason Earles: Yea, a little bit. I think we are both really good friends and pretty happy-go-lucky. I was probably a little more serious of a student in school than what Jackson is. He seems to be distracted all the time. But grade were really important to me and I took school very seriously, so that's probably the biggest difference. But I think if we were at a party, we would be competing for attention. We both have that personality.
What were your favorite subjects in school?
Jason Earles: I loved math and science. I did the theater obviously -- the acting stuff. But as far as the regular, traditional subjects -- math and science I thought were great. They described so much of the world around you. If you're good at those two subjects, the world around you makes a lot more sense.
So if you weren't acting, would you be doing something with math and science?
Jason Earles: Maybe. I would probably either be in some sort of science related field. I'm not sure what that would be. Maybe some conservation biology sort of field. But if I wasn't acting, I would probably would get my masters and try to teach at some small, private liberal arts college to a smaller group of students and teach theater.
Do you have any desire to sing like you TV sister, Miley?
Jason Earles: I always wished that I could sing. But nobody would ever pay to listen to me to sing. I've done a couple of things, like I've produced some summer theater where we'd do these vaudeville numbers. For those ones, it was more like the characters -- coming up with a big sort of funny character. If the singing wasn't great, it didn't matter because the sketches were funny. So I'm good at that sort of stuff. But a solo album that people would grove to your tunes, that's not me.
Speaking of music, what's playing in your iPod right now?
Jason Earles: I've got a very eclectic mix of playlists in my iPod. My favorite song right now is that 'Hide and Seek' song by Imogen Heap. It's really good. I also listen to Coldplay, the Fray and Death Cab for Cutie. I like a lot of indie sort of stuff.
We get this questions a lot from our users, how did you get into acting and do you have any advice?
Jason Earles: The very first play I ever did was 'Hansel and Gretal' in the third grade. I played Hansel. I came from a really big family, so I did this play and my whole family came to watch. And this light bulb went off and I was like "Oh, if I'm in plays, it's the one thing I'll do where I'll know I'm going to get all the attention," so that's what sparked the desire to act.
As far as trying to do it for a job, I moved to Los Angeles and I did a bunch of extra work and stand-in work to try to learn the technical side of the business -- like the cameras and marks and that sort of stuff. And then I took some local classes and got a referral for my first agent. I went on a billion auditions before I booked anything. Then it slowly, slowly evolved and slowly happened.
Do you have any plans for the summer?
Jason Earles: We unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, we shoot until September 21. We'll work through the official summer-summer. But once we go on our break in the fall, I probably do a little traveling. I've got a bunch of friends in Montana that I'd like to go visit. And my family lives in the Pacific Northwest and that's where I grew up, so I'm looking forward to getting up there and spending some time with my parents and brothers.
If you were a cookie, what type of cookie would you be?
Jason Earles: Uh, if I was a cookie, what type of cookie would I be ... I would probably be a chocolate chip cookie mixed with M&Ms, 'cause M&Ms are my favorite candy. I like traditional things like chocolate chip cookies -- good old fashion, rock solid cookie.
You're on the Red team for the Disney Channel Games. Your team is currently in the lead! Congrats!
Jason Earles: Thank you.
What has been your favorite challenge?
Jason Earles: The favorite event I was in was probably Simon Says, which hasn't aired yet. The reason why I like Simon Says is because you take 30 of us and it really is a one on one on one. You have to focus and pay attention and that's the only requirement. Just do what you hear. So it is sort of a one on one battle.
Other than 'Hannah Montana,' what is your favorite Disney Channel Show?
Jason Earles: I like the 'Shorty McShort Shorts.' The short little cartoons are sort of off beat and funny.
What has been your favorite episode of 'Hannah Montana'?
Jason Earles: My favorite episode has been one called 'My Boyfriend's Jackson and There's Going to Be Trouble.' I pretend to date my sister in order to get a bunch of free stuff. I push it too far and Miley gets all crazy with me. It was one of the ones where I first heard what the concept for the episode was, I was like "Are you crazy? I'm dating my sister. That's never going to fly." But it ended up being really funny in the end.
Who are your top celeb crushes?
Jason Earles: I think Scarlett Johansson is just perfect in a dress. And the standard Angelina Jolie, you can't go wrong there either. Ha ha. I think I could stare at those two for hours.
A lot of fans look up to you, but who do you look up to?
Jason Earles: A non-famous person I really look up to is my dad because he's an amazing man and incredibly hard working and has a great sense of loyalty. He taught me how to treat my family and friends and how to approach a job, so I really look up to him as a man.
Professionally, I look up to Michael J. Fox. If I could have a tenth of the career Michael J. Fox has, I would be so thrilled. I think we're the same sort of guy. Sort of slighter in built, we look young, we have different senses of humor and I just really look up to him with all the work that he's done. I would love to work with him or be in something that he thought was cool. I look up to him quite a bit.
What's coming up this season on 'Hanna Montana'?
Jason Earles: Season two is pretty cool because all of us kids are in the same school now. They went from eighth to the ninth grade and so we're all in high school. We get a chance to interact a little bit more at the school. Rico turns out to be a little kid genius, so he actually in the school also, so now instead of just tormenting me at work, he's also tormenting Miley in class, which is sort of fun.
This season isn't so much about hiding the secret. It seems like in season one, we spent a lot of the time hiding the secret from people. And this year, it's more the living. You know, Miley is experiences from day to day and it's not about hiding. It's really just watching both sides of her life, which is cool.
You've guest starred on 'Phil of the Future,' are there any other Disney Channel shows you'd like to guest star on?
Jason Earles: I think 'High School Musical' would be fun, but then again, I don't have the vocals. I really like Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song, especially Brenda. She's been on my Disney Channel games team for the last two years. So I think it would be very fun to go to that show ('The Suite Life of Zack and Cody') and get a chance to work with her a little bit.
You never know. Thanks for all your time today Jason.
Jason Earles: No problem. Thanks.
