Pop Culturalist Chats with All Night’s Tetona Jackson

This week, the AwesomenessTV and Hulu collaboration, All Night, premiered on the streaming platform, and a star has undoubtedly emerged. Her name? Tetona Jackson, an up-and-coming actress who’s stealing scenes with her confident and vulnerable performance. Pop Culturalist spoke with her about the show, her character, and the importance of diversity and representation.

PC: Tell us about All Night and your character.
Tetona: The show is about a group of high school students who just graduated. The school has a tradition called “Grad Night” and it’s a huge event. The students basically spend four years looking forward to it. It’s an all-night party, and once you’re in, you’re locked in for the rest of the night. The show follows these different cliques and how each individual tries to live out their last big high school dream.

My character is Cassie. Her two best friends are Deanna (Jenn McAllister) and Fig (Jake Short). We’re like the misfits of school. We march to the beat of our own drums and do our own thing. I also have a twin brother on the show named Christian (Tequan Richmond). He’s the favorite in the family. [laughs] He’s a jock and incredibly academic. My character is an out lesbian which was really cool to play. I never played a lesbian on screen before. While she’s open about who she is, she still has a few secrets that unfold throughout the course of the season.

PC: How much of yourself would you say is in Cassie? Were you able to draw any parallels from your own high school experience?
Tetona: I’m similar to Cassie in certain ways. There are a lot of layers to her which I can relate to. However, I don’t think my high school was anything like this. [laughs] It was very different! So it was fun to explore this world.

PC: How did you prepare to step into Cassie’s shoes? Did you feel any pressure because she’ll mean a great deal to a large community of people?
Tetona: I did! I wanted to do her justice. I’ve never been part of the LGBTQ+ community but I have a lot of friends who are. I wanted to be able to share their stories and to do them justice.

In terms of preparing to play this character, everyone on set made it so easy. Jenn, Teala, Jake, and the rest of the cast really made it easy for me to step into Cassie’s shoes.

PC: At the center of Cassie’s world are Alexis and Deanna. What can you tell us about that dynamic and how does it change through the course of the season?
Tetona: It’s a bit of a whirlwind! Deanna does not like Alexis, and she thinks that I feel a similar way. Once everything comes out and pieces are put together, there’s a little bit of drama. It’s definitely a roller coaster with drama and laughs. You’ll have to watch!

Photo Credit: Hulu

PC: The graduates take part in a lot of activities and traditions throughout the course of the season. Which was your favorite and why?
Tetona: The Jell-O wrestling was fun and crazy. There was so much going on, and it was a blast to film. “The Reckoning” was also a lot of fun because it pits Cassie against Deanna, and we get to see two best friends go at it to win a prize.

PC: In one of the episodes, the students predict where they’d be in the future. When you were in high school, did you ever imagine this is where life would lead you?
Tetona: Yes and no. I always had dreams of being able to do this, and how I saw my career. A dream is really different from reality though. I knew I wanted to be an actress but I never imagined it actually coming to fruition. It’s a blessing and I’m really excited to be able to do what I love.

PC: There’s a lot of self-reflection throughout the season. If you could back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be and why?
Tetona: To always believe in yourself and never give up. You have to keep pushing forward.

PC: What are you most excited for your fans?
Tetona: Oh my gosh! There are so many things. A show like All Night reminds us that it’s okay to be yourself, and it was such a privilege to get to represent the LGBTQ+ community and share their story.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Tetona: Right now it’s Bob Burgers.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Tetona: I don’t know if it’s a guilty pleasure but Bridesmaids is always my go-to movie.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Tetona: The first one that comes to mind is Dear Evan Hansen but that may be because I just saw it.

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Tetona: Instagram

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Tetona: The Temptations

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Tetona: Bates Motel

PC: Go-to karaoke song?
Tetona: Probably Rihanna or the Spice Girls.

PC: Hidden talent?
Tetona: I speak fluent Farsi.

Make sure to follow Tetona on Twitter and Instagram, and binge-watch the entire season of All Night on Hulu today. What are you waiting for?

Photo Credit: Hulu