Up and Close with Jessica Parker Kennedy

AM: Jessica, thanks so much for coming to spend a day at play with us here at QP. Firstly I have to ask, what made you want to become an actor?

JPK: My mom took me to a lot of plays when I was a kid, so that made a definite impression, but the real ah-ha moment happened when at twelve I saw Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. It was so stunning and made such an impression on me that I became obsessed with both Shakespeare and the art of film after seeing it.

AM: It was so stylish, I love what he and his wife do together, they’re a magic team. So what was your first experience on stage?

JPK: When I was seven, at summer camp, I did a performance of The Jungle Book. I played both Mowgli’s little girlfriend and the wolf mother.

AM: So your first role was actually a double header?

JPK: Yes! It was a lot for a seven year old, but I did it, and I remember it being really exhilarating. After that I took drama in junior high and in high school, and that when I got really hooked. After I graduated from high school I went into a two year theater arts program that was super demanding but also really fun.

Fake fur collared jacket by Malan Breton @malanbreton

AM: Did you play anybody that you loved while you were there?

JPK: I was in a really amazing play called Unity 1918 about the Spanish flu that killed 55,000 people in Canada. I played the niece of a mortician. My uncle passed away and I had to take over his business in a small town where everyone was dying. It was a really transformative role as I had to do a lot of research for it. I went to the library to learn all about the process of embalming, and I watched a lot of Six Feet Under, which was an amazing show.

AM: IMDb says you’ve played over 40 characters in the last dozen years, which ones really impacted you?

JPK: My favorite character was Max on Black Sails. When I booked it I was terrified of that role, I was like, “No. I can’t do this!” But I like being scared. It pushes you when you have that kind of terrified “I can’t do this” feeling. The adrenaline makes you better. I loved that role and that character, I miss her every day!

AM: The result’s a great mix. Changing gears, what are your favorite social media platforms?

JPK: I don’t have a favorite social media platform because, to be honest, I really don’t like the artificial pressures and consequences of social media. If I had to pick one I guess it’d be Instagram, but I don’t like posting as much as I like following people that I’m genuinely interested in. ]

AM: It’s becoming a very important part of the business of being an actor. What’s your take on that?

JPK: It’s turned our craft into a strange popularity contest. People get jobs all the time because they have more followers than someone else, but that should never be the reason you get cast for a role. The argument is that more followers should mean a bigger box office draw, so it may make financial sense, but creatively it rarely means the person most suited for a role will get it. I thought my days of popularity contests were over once I left school, but now it’s happening all over again, and honestly it’s kind of traumatizing.

AM: You’re a veteran of the Comic-Con circuit. They’re huge events that draw massive crowds, but what are they like from your perspective?

JPK: They’re kind of crazy and a lot of work, but I really enjoy doing them because I love meeting real fans, and Comic-Con has the most enthusiastic fans ever. Most of the time they know more about the part you’re playing than you do in many ways. They pay attention to every little detail and never miss or forget anything. Honestly their passion and excitement is Infectious, it can really inspire and fire you to get through the hard days on set knowing they’re eventually going to be there with you.

AM: I saw a clip of you on line being ambushed by three guys with video cameras who were trying to get you to sign pictures. You patiently autographed endless prints while giving them nice mini interviews. Most people would’ve just swatted them away but you were so gracious with them.

JPK: I’m not bothered that much by it as it’s not a part of my everyday life. I know they aren’t really fans, they just want you to sign a million pictures so they can sell them. It’s really just a part of the job so I’m cool to roll with it to a point, but I know a lot of actors that wouldn’t give them the time of day.

AM: Being gracious and humble shows great character.

JPK: That’s the way I was raised. If I wasn’t polite my mom would just slap me across the head, not literally but figuratively. My mom is a very intimidating woman when she wants to be. She was a teacher for 35 years so she has that authoritative streak. I was raised to be gracious and thankful. I just don’t have that snitty, big headed, entitled thing inside of me, it’s just not in my DNA. I’d love to play a character that’s like that, but certainly not in real life.

AM: So not only did your mum indoctrinate you with the joys of the theater, but she also really kept you in line.

JPK: Absolutely!

AM: Clearly it paid off, bravo mom! What a great interview too, thanks, now lets take some pictures.