GRUMPY MAGAZINE - Maxwell Jenkins (Solo Edition) by Grumpy Magazine

ON THE COVER

ABOUT Grumpy Magazine is an international digital and print publication founded and curated by Jasmine Perrier. Selfpublished from France since 2016, we aim at covering the cultural landscape across the world and sharing a genuine vision of life to get you out of your grumpy mood. More than just a magazine, we are interested in aesthetically pleasing a modern take on traditional staples and thus offering a unique book capturing thoughtful stories and stimulating sceneries. This standalone feature is taken from Grumpy Magazine’s IN CONVERSATION series and exclusively available as a solo story featuring one talent and 20+ pages of interview and photos.

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ost in the mind of Maxwell Jenkins

After passing through Los Angeles in February, Maxwell Jenkins caught up with Jaeden Martell a few weeks later in New York to take us inside his wonderfully surprising world.

INTERVIEW BY Jaeden Martell PHOTOGRAPHY BY Elizabeth Weinberg STYLING BY Luca Kingston at The Wall Group GROOMING BY Heather-Rae Bang at Art Department using Balmain Hair Couture, Dior Backstage Beauty and Naturopathica

PRODUCTION BY Jasmine Perrier at Studio J•T•P LOCATION Mantra House

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

Maxwell Jenkins 06

axwell Jenkins has always been performing. Raised around the circus and film sets, while still attending public school, the Chicago native is

unsurprisingly wise beyond his years, warm-hearted, ambitious — and extremely close to his family. Now, on the cusp of adulthood and with a decade’s worth of experience under his belt, the soon-to-be 18-year-old multitalented actor enjoys branching out and finding new meaning in his craft. At the end of last year, he headed to Ireland to work on Ben Brewer’s survival action-thriller Arcadian and began 2023 with his carefully prepared supporting performance in the AppleTV+ drama Dear Edward. One person who understands the feeling of growing up on camera is Jaeden Martell. To celebrate this career turning point, Maxwell sat down with one of his latest on-screen brothers to discuss moving on from Lost in Space, share his refreshing and wide-eyed perspective on life, and give a first glimpse of their upcoming post-apocalyptic movie. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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‘‘

If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that being a normal kid in Chicago made me a better actor. I’ve loved telling stories for the last ten years and I’m excited to venture into being an adult in this world.

’’

JAEDEN MARTELL: It’s good to see you, man.

taking notes and viewing the story as a whole. Lost in Space and the most recent thing I’ve done, Dear Edward, were both big ensemble shows. Because there was no main character driving the story, I came to realize that as much as I care about my character and I have empathy for my character, I also want to create a cool story and focus on how my character fits into the broad story. I don’t know if you saw my notebook when we were filming [Arcadian]. It helps me delve deep into the history and the mindset of the character.

MAXWELL JENKINS: It’s good to be here. JM: I want to start talking about you growing up in this industry and in the circus. I don’t know if this is common knowledge, but I love this about you. Do you think it helps you as a performer and as an actor? MJ: I think the circus makes me a better performer 100% of the time. I’ve been performing in the circus since I was born. I was months old and I was in the ring [laughs]. We have this saying when anything seems tough, my family and I always say, ‘‘Nothing is harder than the circus.’’ It’s given me the work ethic needed to be an actor, but also a full-time public school student and a varsity competitive cheerleader. Our circus is also all about telling a story through physicality, so that’s oftentimes how I’ll approach something.

JM: Right. Here is a history buff. I like how you approach it that way because it’s there subconsciously, in the back of your mind. MJ: I don’t want to be thinking about my notes when I’m doing a scene, but if I go deep enough with the notes beforehand, it’s just going to be there. JM: I’m curious, how has your view of acting changed over the course of your career?

JM: That’s very interesting. How would you say that you get into character and approach a new character? When I worked with you, I saw your care for the characters, like a general empathy.

MJ: That’s a cool question. I got into acting by complete accident. My mom was a voiceover actress and their company opened a camera department in Chicago. After five years of her saying ‘‘no’’ to them asking to put me up for stuff, I did this screen test and it took off from there. But the older I get, the more I realize how important

MJ: I’m one of the weird people that love school and I love learning. So, I’ll throw myself into the homework, read the script a bunch of times, and my biggest thing is

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tried to take some of those qualities with me, like his optimism in dark situations or his empathy. But trying to find a completely different voice after that has taught me that you can have a range as an actor.

art, especially filmmaking, is to defining history. So, I want to make movies about things that I care about and can make a difference. The turning point was probably watching Do the Right Thing in 35mm at this old theater by my house in Chicago. It made me realize the power that a story had.

JM: I also think your duty as child actors is to be as natural as possible. And then, you start looking up to people who have this ability to be natural, but also completely different from themselves. What directions do you want to go in to branch out from yourself and challenge yourself?

JM: What we do is addictive in a way. It’s the most incredible job and we’re so lucky to do it. Growing up doing Lost in Space, did you feel that change through each season because you’re also becoming a more conscious human being?

MJ: I’ve spent a lot of my life, whether it’s on-screen or in the circus, doing the hero’s journey kid. And something I want to keep expanding on is playing people that can make mistakes. I may have played Will Robinson, this ideal kid on camera, but I go to a public high school in Chicago and when I’m not acting, I’m like every other teenager. I like the direction that the films coming out today are going in, especially with the younger directors that we’re seeing, like Ben Brewer. There is this darker nature to the heroes, and I want to embrace that and tell stories about protagonists who aren’t necessarily perfect people.

MJ: I always described it as me growing up or every season had a different feeling in my chest. But now that you mention it, I’m becoming more conscious of what Lost in Space is. I was so lucky to have such a cool and kind cast and crew. They understood the weight that was being put on my shoulders as an 11‑year-old, but they also understood that I was a kid and made it a point to make sure my family was on set. It never felt like a job. Then, because I lived with Will for five of the most formative years of my life, it was important for me to leave it where I wanted to. That was one of the first times where I could comfortably advocate for myself and a character, and learn how to do that.

JM: In Arcadian, what’s interesting is that your character has faults that come from his desire to be perfect. He probably grew up with Will Robinson.

JM: Yes, it’s hard to learn that because it’s hard to speak up as an actor. The writing is your bible and the directors are your gods.

MJ: I don’t want to get too much into the specifics of the character before it comes out, just in case we don’t want to spoil it [laughs]. But I see what you mean. It was perfect because it was following me growing up, and it’s exactly who I’m becoming and who I want to be. And you’re right — he was Will Robinson when he was younger but he might not be anymore.

MJ: As a kid on set, you always want to be a pleaser. You never want to slow production down, get in someone’s way, or disagree. But I realized that they’re not necessarily disagreements or slowing things down. It’s coming together to make it better. JM: I’m assuming playing this character for so long and caring about him has affected how he will forever live inside of you.

JM: Let’s talk about Dear Edward. You had a nice balance between light-hearted family scenes with your brother and some very dark stuff. How was it getting to know this character on a show like that with so many story arcs? Did you approach it the same way and do the research?

MJ: That’s been one of the biggest blessings, but also one of the biggest challenges. By the final season, it was so easy to slip into Will Robinson that I had to push myself and figure out something new after Lost in Space. I took my first acting course and I loved it. Especially on Dear Edward and then our movie, those characters are nothing like Will Robinson. He is pure light and I

MJ: It was important for me to delve into the research, even more intensely on a show where my role is in support of another

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character. Luckily, we had amazing writers, producers, and directors, like Jason Katims and Fisher Stevens, who helped with that. Ann Napolitano, the writer of the book, said that we expect to outlive our parents, but we expect to grow old with our siblings — when that doesn’t happen, you don’t know what to do. The relationship between the two brothers was a central theme of this tragic story. So, I was intent on making it as deep as possible. It starts with everyone going down but throughout the series, it becomes an uplifting story of working through grief. My character, Jordan, is there to guide Edward [Colin O’Brien] until he’s ready to let go. I kept that in the back of my mind the whole time, no matter what scene it was.

show called Betrayal in Chicago. At the end of the shoot, he said that I will always thank my mom for understanding that I have the rest of my life for a career, but I get one childhood. I’ve always kept in the back of my mind that any project I’m going to do is going to be one that enhances my childhood and makes me a better person for doing it. As I’m transitioning into an adult and recognizing that my childhood is coming to an end, that advice still holds true. Have your career, but keep trying to be an interesting person and have hobbies and passions outside of acting because they’re only going to enrich each other. JM: That’s very true. It also helps that you have incredible parents that will have your back no matter what. And you’re lucky to have yourself — someone who is not jaded, someone who is kind and compassionate.

JM: I’m assuming your relationship with your sister helped in that way. MJ: 100%. I’m super close with my sister. She has a lot of Jordan’s qualities — she is very confident and much more independent, even though she may be younger. But especially now that we are in high school together, I realized my job at school wasn’t just to get straight A’s anymore. It was to look out for her. It was interesting to take and amplify that dynamic in Dear Edward.

MJ: Thanks, man. JM: Should we do the lightning round? I really want to do it. MJ: Sure, let’s do it. JM: If you were not an actor, what would you be doing?

JM: What I liked too is that Jordan and Edward’s relationship was not perfect. There was jealousy there.

MJ: Maybe a dream of mine would be to do some work in the government in the efforts to create peace. I would maybe get my degree in International Relations and a master’s in Law or Homeland Security, and then go work for the US Institute of Peace.

MJ: It was important for me to make sure that no matter how jealous Jordan was, I always had a sense of pride for Edward, even if it doesn’t show 100% of the time. There is that scene with Robin Tunney who played my mom — Edward makes me mad while we’re doing math because he’s telling me the answers. Even though it is very much a scene about me being jealous, I also wanted it to be a scene where I’m not just complaining about Edward and I’m saying, ‘‘Edward is amazing but I need a life too.’’ Jason wrote it that way and Fisher directed it that way, and we all agreed on that.

JM: You’re so knowing and so smart. What’s a guilty pleasure of yours, TV or film-wise? MJ: I love 90s network shows like Dawson’s Creek, Friends, and Gilmore Girls. I really bonded with my sister over that. Because you go through a time when you first become a teenager and your sister is not a teenager yet, and you guys don’t necessarily get along. Now, we have a lot in common and I think we realized that when we started watching Gilmore Girls.

JM: Now, what is the best advice that you’ve got and will always stay with you?

JM: Interesting [laughs]. What’s your favorite album when you’re feeling sad?

MJ: On my first job, I was fortunate to work with Henry Thomas, who played Elliott in E.T. I was eight years old, filming this ABC

MJ: Any Harry Styles album. Though I’m

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probably going to go with Fine Line on that one. In terms of songs, my favorite song is ‘‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’’ because it won’t make me feel sad anymore.

energy. And it was awesome to get to work with you, play brothers, become friends, and realize how cool of a person you are and how good of an actor you are. I always grew up hearing your name or knowing one person away from you, and always admired your work and career.

JM: What’s one actor that you look up to the most? MJ: I’ve always heard that Chris Evans is amazing to work with. When I was 13 or 14, I got the honor to meet Jamie Lee Curtis at my first Saturn Awards. When she was going up there to accept her award, she tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to walk her up the stairs. And she hit me with the best compliment in my life which was, ‘‘You are just like a young Chris Evans.’’ I want to have my own career and define that myself, but I want to be remembered as a good person above all else.

JM: From early on, we were all working together. Ben has ideas and is so intelligent, but he wanted to hear everyone’s input. What a crazy time. MJ: I don’t think there was a scene where we weren’t cracking up at least once. JM: What else do you want to talk about? MJ: The last thing I would add is that I’ve loved being an actor and telling stories for the last ten years. It’s embedded in my family. My parents and my sister are artists, and even my dogs perform in the circus, so I guess they’re artists. So, finding my own medium of telling stories has been really cool and I’m excited to venture into being an adult in this world. It’s scary but I had a cool taste of it in Ireland. My mom was still there but that was my first time working as a legal adult. I had a lot more independence and I’m excited to see where it goes. I’m also excited to expand on my role in the business. From the time when I was a little kid working with the Wachowskis [on Sense8], I knew I wanted to step behind the camera eventually as well, whether it’s producing or directing. I’m planning on getting my degree in business administration with a focus on the film business. So, maybe taking a few film courses in college would be cool.

JM: Amazing. Next question: whose couch is the most comfortable? MJ: I would have to go with Jaeden Martell’s couch. JM: It’s a good answer. Are we allowed to talk about Arcadian? MJ: We are not spoiling the movie. JM: How was it for you working with them? MJ: It was the most intense experience I’ve had filming anything. It was me, you, Sadie [Soverall], Ben [Brewer], and Nic [Cage] in the countryside in Ireland for a few weeks to film this action thriller, and it was super personal and collaborative. Not only was everyone a really nice person to work with, but they were all super talented. From the first moment I talked with Ben on that Zoom call, I knew how much he cared about this project, and it inspired me to care and push myself even more. Sadie was really awesome to work with. She has this cool energy that meshed well with the scenes. And I was shocked the first day on set with Nic. Not only because me and my dad’s favorite movie to watch together is Gone 60 Seconds, but he is such a good actor and he elevated every scene we were in, bringing in personal connections and amplifying the

JM: You’re amazing, dude. MJ: You’re the best, man. JM: This is a good chance for me to speak from my heart because I can mess with you after. But I love you and I look up to you so much. In a lot of ways, you’re brilliant, smart, kind, and empathetic — more so than a lot of people I have met. You’re the best of us. MJ: It was a blessing. Thank you for interviewing me and for being a cool dude.

dear edward is now streaming on appletv+

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‘‘

When I was 13 or 14, I got the honor to meet Jamie Lee Curtis at my first Saturn Awards. And she hit me with the best compliment in my life which was, ‘‘You are just like a young Chris Evans.’’ I want to have my own career and define that myself, but I want to be remembered as a good person above all else.

’’ 16

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