Pop Culturalist Chats with Jake Short

Jake Short is no stranger to the entertainment industry, having grown up on screen. He launched his acting career at the age of ten and quickly established himself as an actor with longevity and one to keep your eye on. He’s proven through breakout performances on Dexter, A.N.T. Farm, Mighty Med, and Lab Rats: Elite Forces that he has the ability to make audiences fall in love with any of his characters. And, he’s bringing that gift to his new role on the Hulu and AwesomnessTV collaboration, All Night. The series follows a group of graduates who spend one final night together, in hopes of ending their high school experience on top. Jake’s character Fig is a lovestruck young man who discovers that the girl of his dreams may have been under his nose the whole time. Pop Culturalist spoke with Jake about All Night, his character, and why he was drawn to this project.

PC: Tell us about All Night, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Jake: All Night is about a graduation lock-in that happens after the ceremony. It’s a chance for all the kids to try and fulfill their high school dreams within one night. These characters are hormonal, excited, and have one last chance to accomplish the one thing they always wanted to do in high school.

My character is Fig. He’s the classic outcast who likes the popular girl. Throughout the night, he starts to realize what’s really important in life.

I was drawn to this show because of Fig. He’s down-to-earth and doesn’t get lost in all the elements of high school. He’s not focused on social media or climbing the social ladder. He gets lost in it for a moment but quickly realizes what matters. I think it’s something that a lot of people can relate to.

PC: How did you prepare to step into his shoes?
Jake: Fig is pretty similar to me. He’s quick-witted and sarcastic, so I jumped right in.

PC: Were you able to draw any parallels from your high school experience?
Jake: My interaction with Deanna, who is Fig’s best friend on the show, is similar to the back and forth I have with my circle of friends. In terms of personality, Fig and I are very similar, but I never went to high school. I have no idea what it’s like to have a locker, to check a textbook out of the library, or what it’s like to attend study hall. I was homeschooled and taught by my grandmother.

PC: Fig is caught in this love triangle. What can you tease about that?
Jake: At the start of the show, we get to see the friendship and dynamic between Fig and Deanna. It’s one of those questionable friendships where they’re really comfortable with each other and a little flirty. Everyone thinks they’re dating, even though they’re not. It’s clear at the beginning that Deanna has feelings for Fig. But as the season goes on, he gets closer and closer to who he thinks is the girl of his dreams, Roni. It’s similar to when you meet your hero, you built them up in your head, and the meeting sometimes ends up being anti-climactic. Over time, as Fig gets closer to Roni, it hurts his friendship with Deanna. But that relationship helps him understand that his dream girl is the one that you spend every day with and who you can truly be yourself with.

PC: Fig is cautious when making decisions. How does help or hurt him throughout the season?
Jake: He’s very calculated with Roni. He overthinks a lot of things. But when he’s laser-focused on something else, he overlooks Deanna and the signals she gives him within the first few episodes. She’s trying to tell him something and he doesn’t realize it.

Photo Credit: Jake Thomas

PC: The graduates take part in a lot of various traditions/activities throughout the course of the season. Which was your favorite and why?
Jake: The karaoke scene was probably my favorite to shoot. It was a lot of fun to sing with Jenn McAllister, who plays Deanna. We got to sing “Christmas Shoes” and our director was like “Just have a lot of fun. Go up there and sing the song.” It was one of mine and Jenn’s favorite scenes.

PC: If you had to give your character a high school superlative, what would it be and why?
Jake: “Most Sarcastic”. He has a really dry sense of humor.

PC: In one of the episodes, the characters share where they think they’d be in the future. When you were younger, did you imagine this is where life would leave you?
Jake: Definitely not! I started acting when I was ten. But I thought I was going to be a firefighter up until then. When I was ten, I was like, “this acting thing is a lot of fun, but does anyone make a living out of it?”

PC: There’s a lot of self-reflection throughout the season. If you could go back and give your younger self a piece of advice, what would it be and why?

Jake: Don’t overthink so much. Also, don’t be awkward or nervous; just talk to people. I would have changed my social interaction when I was younger. I was an awkward, shy kid.

PC: What are you most excited for fans to see?
Jake: I’m really happy with the director and how he worked with all the actors. He did a great job weaving in so many storylines without making it confusing. It’s only ten episodes at thirty-minutes a piece. It’s super easy to binge. It’s easy to fall in love with these characters. There are great storylines and real moments that even if you didn’t grow up in this environment, you can relate to.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Jake: The Office

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Jake: The Other Guys

PC: Favorite book?
Jake: History 101 in college [laughs]

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Jake: Hamilton

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Jake: The Gram

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Jake: Breaking Bad

PC: Hidden talent?
Jake: I can kind of juggle.

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

Photo Credit: Hulu