Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Rutherford Fall’s Jesse Leigh

Jesse Leigh is a Chinese-American non-binary actor who’s captivated the screen in projects including Foursome, Cast Me, Heathers, and most recently, Rutherford Falls.

Set in upstate New York, Rutherford Falls is a comedy series that centers around the lifelong friendship between Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who live in a small sleepy town. Jesse shines as the outspoken Bobbie Yang who always says what’s on their mind.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Jesse about their career, Rutherford Falls, and non-binary representation in mainstream media.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and acting?
Jesse: I started doing an afterschool program in elementary school. I saw all my friends who were girls taking this afterschool arts program, and I wanted to be with them. It looked really fun. I joined our first play, which was Oliver, and I got the lead role.

From then on, I just wanted to continue to do it. I continued taking drama classes in middle school. Then, I went to a performing arts high school called OCSA for musical theater. I was on the west coast in LA, so I realized I had to try screen acting. There’s also more money in screen acting. [laughs] It’s always been what I’ve wanted to do. I’ve always loved performing for my family. I would put on shows out of my garage and invite the neighbors over to watch.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Jesse: I’m a huge fan of Lady Gaga and what she stands for. She’s so unique and bold. She doesn’t care what people think, what the haters think. That’s always been really inspiring to me. I first heard of Lady Gaga in middle school, and I loved how she made all her performances a piece of art, like at the MTV Video Music Awards when she performed “Paparazzi”. It reminded me of musical theater. I would definitely say Lady Gaga inspired me to be a performer.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Jesse: Booking my first role, which was Heathers. I was working as a background actor, trying to hustle, make my money, and also get some experience on set. I was also auditioning at the same time. I was working on a Disney Channel show called Bunk’d as a background actor, and all the background actors were sitting together. I got a call from my agent and stepped away. She told me that I booked the role on Heathers. This was going to be my first speaking role on television. I started crying. I drove home and told my mom, and we both celebrated. That was the moment when I knew that I was doing the right thing. I continued and kept treading on. The hard work finally paid off.

Rutherford Falls

PC: You’ve got a new series out now. Tell us about Rutherford Falls, your character, and what attracted you to this project.
Jesse: Rutherford Falls is a comedy from the same producers and creators of Superstore, The Office, and Parks and Rec. It’s about this lifelong friendship between Nathan Rutherford, played by Ed Helms, and Reagan Wells, played by Jana Schmieding. It’s set in a small town in the Northeast. Nathan Rutherford is a descendant of the town’s founder, so he has a lot of pride in keeping his family’s legacy alive. He owns and runs the Rutherford Falls Heritage Museum. My character, Bobbie Yang, is Nathan Rutherford’s executive intern. It was super fun playing opposite of Ed Helms.

When I got the script back in February 2020, I saw that Ed Helms was attached. I read the script and I fell in love with this Bobbie character because they’re so confident in themselves. There was no young character like Bobbie anywhere else in the pilot. It was fun to bring this young, bold, powerful, and outspoken character in a show full of adults. Bobbie’s not afraid to speak their mind. It’s really fun to play that because Bobbie gets to tell anyone off, especially in that pilot. [laughs]

That’s what excited me about the project. I also saw that it was one of the largest indigenous writers’ rooms ever. I knew I would be in good company and that they were making history. I wanted to be part of that.

PC: You had a hand in shaping this character. Can you tell us a bit about how your creative choices ultimately led us to the Bobbie that we see on screen?
Jesse: When I got the script, Bobbie was written as gay and male-presenting. I’ve auditioned for enough gay roles that I started to make characters my own starting a few years ago. I just started to wear clothes that represented Jesse and not necessarily the character. I wanted to make Bobbie Yang as close to Jesse Leigh as possible. So, I wore my bell bottoms and my entire ’70s outfit. I did my hair up, I put on a winged liner, and I was lucky enough to book the role.

Then, I met with the writers. They asked me questions about being non-binary. I told them about my childhood and what it was like growing up not really fitting into the two ends of the gender spectrum. I felt really lucky being able to play a character that was true to themselves and non-binary because there aren’t enough non-binary characters on television.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, this show is making history and your character means a great deal to various communities that want to see themselves represented in mainstream media. What has it meant to you to pave that way?
Jesse: It’s so exciting. I see all these comments and DMs from the non-binary community on Instagram and Twitter. They’re telling me how special it is and how exciting it is to see an NB character on television. It feels so powerful. We’re seeing this new wave of characters on screen who don’t fit into the gender spectrum or who exist along the gender spectrum. It feels really exciting to be part of this new generation on screen.

PC: The series has been incredibly well received. If it gets picked up for a second season, where would you like to see your character’s storyline head?
Jesse: The show is set in the Northeast—I believe we’re in Upstate New York. I would love to see Bobbie take on the Big Apple and go to the city. I think Bobbie has a future in either advertising or publicity. They would thrive in the city. If a romantic partner comes into play, that would be amazing, too. I would love to give Bobbie a romantic partner. That would be fun.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Jesse: The Handmaid’s Tale.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Jesse: Saturday Night Fever.

PC: Favorite book?
Jesse: Sharp Objects.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Jesse: Wicked.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Jesse: Bread.

PC: Dream role?
Jesse: I would love to star in something a little darker, a little edgier—maybe a thriller or mini-series like Sharp Objects or Big Little Lies.

To keep up with Jesse, follow them on Twitter or Instagram. Watch Rutherford Falls on Peacock today.