Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Bless This Mess’ JT Neal

Actor JT Neal is stealing scenes (and hearts) with his vibrant yet sensitive performance as Jacob Bowman in ABC’s hit new comedy, Bless This Mess, which was just renewed for season two! The series follows newlyweds, Mike [Dax Shepard] and Rio [Lake Bell], who leave the big city for a quieter life in Nebraska. But, things don’t go according to plan, especially when their neighbors want nothing more than for the pair to move back. JT’s character, Jacob, is the happy-go-lucky boy-next-door who just wants everyone to get along. Pop Culturalist spoke with JT about Bless This Mess, how he drew from his experience growing up in a small town, and finding his community in Los Angeles.

PC: Tell us about Bless This Mess, your character, and what drew you to this project.
JT: Bless This Mess is about a couple that moves from New York to the middle of nowhere in Nebraska. They hope to find a simpler life, but they soon discover that it’s anything but simple.

My character is Jacob, the son of the next-door neighbors, played by David Koechner and Lennon Parham. We’re a long-time farming family and members of the community. My parents come in and stir up a bit of trouble for our new neighbors, and make Dax and Lake’s characters rethink the whole move.

I was drawn to this project because I grew up in a small town myself in Pilot Point, Texas. I was very familiar with the sense of community that comes with living in a small town. I thought it was hilarious because I related to all these characters. I can literally pick people out of my own childhood and compare them to characters on the show. That was really exciting for me.

PC: Like you just said, you and Jacob are both from small towns. How similar or different have your respective journeys been?
JT: Well, Jacob is happy where he’s at. He loves living in the town. He loves being surrounded by these people. Everybody in the community is a family.

For me, I couldn’t wait to get out and try something new. I think we’re different in that way, but I do love going home. My whole family still lives in Texas. I love getting to escape Los Angeles and the hustle and bustle to relax in Texas. In some ways, it’s a simpler life there.

PC: Similarly to the main characters, you also packed up your life and moved. What were some of the challenges you faced living in Los Angeles? What did you learn from those experiences?
JT: Well, one thing that threw me for a loop when I first moved here was how giant it was. I went to school in Dallas, so I was familiar with a city, but Los Angeles is on a whole other level. It was really hard for me to make friends and meet people. It was a challenge to find places where I could meet genuine people who weren’t after something or had ulterior motives. I couldn’t find a community here. It was hard because I moved from a small town where I had that. It took a bit of time, but once I found it, everything fell into place.

PC: Jacob is this wholesome, wide-eyed kid who gets caught in the middle of this feud between his parents and their new neighbors. Will we see him step in as a mediator? How will he handle that dynamic moving forward?
JT: Inadvertently, you’ll see Jacob serve as a catalyst in bringing his parents together with Mike and Rio. I don’t think he means to because he’s on everybody’s side, but things will happen that allow both parties to bury the hatchet and say, “Let’s come together on this because Jacob needs us.” It allows them to open up to one another.

PC: That’s a great teaser. In the first three episodes, we’ve seen one side of Jacob. What can you tease about his arc and development throughout the season?
JT: In episode four, you see Jacob open up because I think he wants to be what he thinks people want him to be. He just wants people to be happy, so whatever shoes he has to fill to make that happen, he’s going to. In episode four, you’ll see that he has a lot of fears and worries. You’ll see that mask come off for a little bit before he puts it back on. It’s hard with a six-episode season to have a big arc, but I think the writers are setting Jacob up to do a lot of big things.

PC: How much of Jacob’s backstory were you given? Did you have to create it yourself?
JT: It’s interesting because the character was slightly different when I auditioned for him. I wasn’t the son of the next-door neighbors, I worked in the town store. There was a different dynamic between Jacob, Mike, and Rio. Then when I got cast, the character shifted a bit because I bought something different to it. So, I had to create that story for myself, which is something that I normally do anyway before an audition. This one was really unique, though, because I made a character for the breakdown for my original audition, but by the time I got the scene test, the character had already changed. I had to scramble to put this other character together. It was a really fun exercise!

PC: Did your experience as a writer help in that adjustment?
JT: Yeah, it definitely did. I also read a lot of plays and studied screen writing. I was familiar with sitcom tropes and with characters that are common in sitcoms. I took experiences from my acting career and built this character based on other characters that I played in acting class, plays, and characters that I’ve written. Being as well-rounded as possible is extremely beneficial. Being familiar with acting makes me a better writer, and vice versa. They complement each other really well.

PC: You’ve already teased a bit about the new side of Jacob we’ll see. Which layer was your favorite to explore and why?
JT: It was a lot of fun for me to go into every situation that I was given and justify why Jacob would support Mike, Rio, or his parents. It was also interesting to dive into what makes this guy so happy-go-lucky all the time. In life, we go through our ups and downs; some days are bad and others are good, but Jacob is really consistent. It was fun for me to figure out why he’s like that all the time. He has a childlike excitement.

PC: If you could write a storyline for Jacob, what would it be?
JT: I actually had this conversation with my manager the other day. I love shows like Parks & Rec. and how they find out that Ron Swanson has a secret life, and that he’s a brilliant saxophone player. In our show, Mike is a music journalist. I think it’d be so funny if Mike goes to see some live music in Lincoln, and Jacob’s playing guitar or singing. Mike would be like, “Wait a second. What? How did this kid even get here? What is happening?” I think that’d be so funny.

Photo Credit: F. Scott Schafer

Career Questions

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting and writing?
JT: Acting has always been a part of me. I grew up watching a lot of movies—my mom and dad were big movie watchers. So, I was always reenacting scenes. My grandma would make me costumes so that I could reenact scenes from my favorite movies because I was always just quoting lines back. From an early age, it was something I really enjoyed.

In middle school, I did a one act play. It was my first chance to finally do it and see what it was all about. From that moment, I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do. This was what I’ve been preparing for my whole life. Then, I went to an Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, which was the best training I could ever ask for. I just knew this is what I wanted to do.

Writing came out of necessity more than anything. There was a time in my career where I just wasn’t working enough and I needed an outlet. I needed something to do. My buddy, Matt, and I started writing to create content for ourselves. Neither of us were getting enough work to sustain our drive. In order to keep the momentum, we started writing, focusing on things that we would want to watch.

PC: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned being a part of this industry?
JT: The main thing that I’ve learned is to keep going and persevere. This career is tumultuous, and this industry is so fickle. You can be the talk of the town one day and then the next day your show gets canceled, and then you don’t work for three years. It’s so up and down. Everything is so unpredictable.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
JT: My parents have been a huge factor in my career. They’ve supported me every step of the way. They made a decision that couldn’t be easy for a parent. For them to say, “Go ahead. Do that. Move to Los Angeles,” I know was hard for them, especially not being familiar with the industry. They deserve a lot of credit for letting me try, letting me fail, and ultimately succeed. They gave me the time to figure it out. I’m eternally grateful for them. I definitely wouldn’t have continued if it weren’t for their support.

PC: Your career is thriving. Is there a moment that sticks out to you?
JT: : I remember the first job that I ever got. I remember that phone call. I had been in Los Angeles for three months for pilot season, and it was the week before I was set to go back to Texas to graduate high school. I remember getting this phone call for a show called Lab Rats on Disney XD. I can’t describe the feeling. It was the start of everything that I wanted and worked for. It was a one-episode guest star, but it had such an impact on me. It was validation that I was on the right path. I went back to Texas and graduated, and I couldn’t get back to Los Angeles quicker. I needed more. I just had to keep working. I couldn’t stop after that.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
JT: American Pickers on the History Channel.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
JT: Buckaroo Bonsai

PC: Favorite book?
JT: Ready Player One

PC: Favorite play or musical?
JT: Dear Evan Hansen

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
JT: Tribe Called Quest

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
JT: Peaky Blinders

PC: Hidden talent?
JT: I don’t know if it’s hidden but I play guitar. I’ve been playing for ten or twelve years.

To keep up with JT, follow him on Twitter and Instagram, and catch Bless This Mess every Tuesday at 9:30/8:30c.

Photo Credit: F. Scott Schafer