Pop-Culturalist.com

Get ready to saddle up! Netflix is taking us on a fun family adventure, which is exactly what we could all use right about now.

Their new series, Country Comfort, follows an aspiring young country singer (Katharine McPhee) who takes a job as a nanny for a musically talented family, helmed by a rugged cowboy (Eddie Cibrian) and his five children.

One of those children is played by rising young actor Jamie Martin Mann, who shines in his television debut.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Jamie about his career, Country Comfort, and getting his big break!

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Jamie: When I was three years old, I saw a production of Swan Lake in Madrid with my mom and dad in El Retiro Park. That was the moment, subconsciously, that I think I realized it. I really enjoyed dancing. My mom said that I was completely mesmerized the entire time. Then, I saw Billy Elliot at the age of seven on Broadway. That moment was when I knew I wanted to be on the stage. From then on, I knew that I wanted to be a part of this industry.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jamie: Someone that I’ve always worked with and is one of my mentors is Cynthia Gibb. She was in Fame and Gypsy with Bette Midler. I started vocal training with her. She’s always been a person that I could go to because she’s part of the industry and she knows a lot, not only about vocal training and vocal health, but also about the business itself. She’s been a big influence.

I even got to stay with her parttime when I was working in LA. She’s a very warm, kind human being. She’s very generous and I’m very thankful for her. A lot of my training came from her, and she’s always helped me through anything—the good, the bad. I’m very thankful for her.

Country Comfort

PC: You’ve got a new show out now. Tell us about Country Comfort and what drew you to this project.
Jamie: Country Comfort is about a country singer named Bailey, played by Katharine McPhee. She gets kicked out of her band, and while she’s driving along, she gets stranded in front of a ranch. The family that lives in the ranch takes her in and she becomes their new nanny. She reintroduces music into their lives because when their mom passed away, they stopped playing and listening to music. She brings it back into their lives. You get to see this family grow and you see how Bailey helps them through the hard times and the chaos. It’s very fun. We had a great time on set, and I think it reflects in our performances on screen.

When I first got the audition and read the script, there was so much warmth. It’s such a wonderful family-oriented show. I’d never done any TV or film. It was an awesome opportunity. I’d never even been to California, which is where I had my chemistry read, so it was awesome to get to go out there to audition.

I really loved the family’s dynamic. Also, there’s singing and dancing. I’ve been a thespian all my life. I love to sing and dance, especially in theater. I felt so lucky to get this role.

Working with Katharine McPhee was incredible. We had a really awesome time. Also, Caryn Lucas, our showrunner, is so kind. All of those things together told me that this is absolutely where I should be and the project that I should be working on…not that I had any other projects lined up. [laughs] But I felt so lucky that this is the one that I ended up working on. It’s been such an incredible experience.

PC: Showrunner Caryn Lucas and the writers gave the cast the opportunity to shape their characters. What was that process like for you?
Jamie: Yeah! I’d never created my own character before. Getting to work with Caryn and the other writers was incredible. They’re super flexible, which made the whole process so much easier because I got to talk to Caryn and ask her any question that I had. They gave me a lot of freedom. It wasn’t super difficult to create this character because I had a lot of leeway.

PC: This is your first role as a series regular. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What’s been the biggest takeaway thus far?
Jamie: I’ve always worked in theater, so the rehearsal process for theater is way longer. I think that what was crazy about this show was how flexible it was and how quickly everyone got put out to sea. That was definitely a bit challenging, but I came to enjoy the fast-paced rehearsal process because you obviously have multiple takes. So, again, there was a lot of flexibility; you have a lot of freedom to make choices. You’re not super worried about messing up lines because you have multiple chances; you had a lot of room to make different choices for each take. I’d never experienced that before. It’s not like when you’re in rehearsals for theater—you’re rehearsing one day, one specific way, and then you act it out the same way. Here, you had the opportunity to change it up, which I really enjoyed.

PC: If you had to summarize the first season in a hashtag, what would it be?
Jamie: That’s a hard one! It’s hard to boil it down because there are so many aspects to this show. Maybe #musicalfamily or #familymeetsmusic? It’s hard to include the nanny, the family, and the music. The hashtag that we’re using for the show is #saddleup, which honestly, has a nice ring to it, because this family show is so exciting, so fun to watch, and so energetic. You’re going to be on a ride, which is really fun.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Jamie: I’m watching Gilmore Girls for the second time. I really love that. It’s such a feel-good show, and I’ve had a great time re-watching it. It’s super funny. It’s kind of similar to Country Comfort because of the family aspect.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Jamie: I love Pitch Perfect. I watch that movie over and over again.

PC: Favorite book?
Jamie: If I ever need a book, I turn to Harry Potter. I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read the whole series twice.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Jamie: That’s so hard! There are so many to choose from. I love Hairspray—that’s a great musical. Wicked is honestly one of my favorite shows. I always go back to that one. I’d probably choose Wicked if I had to choose. I love the music in it.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Jamie: I love Fleetwood Mac. I listen to Fleetwood Mac all the time. I’ve recently got into their music and I’m obsessed with it. I also have so many theater songs on my playlist. If I had to choose a band, Fleetwood Mac would be at the top of my list.

PC: Dream role?
Jamie: There’s a character named Fiyero in Wicked that I’ve always wanted to play. That would be really fun. I don’t know about anything on screen, but on the stage, that would be it.

To keep up with Jamie, follow him on Instagram. Watch Country Comfort on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Curtis & Cort Photography