Interview by Colter Ruland
Jaeden Martell is an actor most known for his roles in It, It: Chapter Two, and most recently Knives Out. No stranger to complicated characters, his newest role in the miniseries Defending Jacob from Apple TV+ finds him playing a teenager accused of murder. In this new role, we see Martell navigate the precarious line between guilt and innocence with a performance that is as emotionally tense as it is hypnotic. I asked him about his career, his role in Defending Jacob, and what it is like portraying characters who have something to hide.
Q: Did you always want to become an actor?
A: Since I was so quiet as a kid and was raised in Philadelphia, becoming an actor never occurred to me and was not something I knew much about. But I always really loved and appreciated movies and would memorize my favorite lines. I knew every line from The Dark Knight and would recite Heath Ledger’s Joker, so maybe deep down I was interested in becoming an actor from a really young age.
Q: What was it like moving to Los Angeles?
A: I moved to Los Angeles from Philadelphia with my mom when I was about 8 years old. It was such a huge change, and it was extremely difficult at first, but my mom moved out here so I could be closer to my father. For me it was hard to be in a new city and a new school. I was extremely introverted and would sit alone and read books during recess. It took a while for me to adjust but it definitely feels like home now.
Q: You switched your last name at one point in your career. Why the change?
A: I changed my last name to “Martell,” which is my mom’s last name. It was definitely not a career decision, more of a personal change to honor my mom.
Q: Your roles are immensely introspective and often deal with elements of trauma. Is there something different you’ve hoped to portray about young people on the screen?
A: The question makes it sound less self-serving than it is. I guess my choices come from my personal desires to not play a “kid,” but rather a human that is complex or flawed. I find these challenging roles more fulfilling.
Q: In The Book of Henry, your character is a young genius who also is dying. In It and It Chapter Two, your character contests with a supernatural threat. Now, in Defending Jacob, you play someone who’s accused of murder. What’s it like playing these characters who are dealing with such extreme situations?
A: These extreme situations can really help develop a character’s backstory and create unique and interesting characters. When I am acting, I can’t reflect on past experiences of being accused of murder or being chased by a clown, so I am forced to use my imagination. I must use my memories, my true emotions, and empathy to put myself in my character’s shoes.
Q: What compelled you about the character of Jacob Barber in Defending Jacob?
A: I think what makes Jacob intriguing and enigmatic is that he seems very “normal.” He is not outwardly brooding or creepy. I am able to relate to him on the surface level and understand him, as he is a typical teenager, who likes video games and loves his family. What made him especially compelling is that the truth is written between the lines. I loved that I was given complete freedom to figure out who this character was in my head.
Q: Throughout Defending Jacob, we’re constantly wondering whether your character is innocent or guilty. Did maintaining that ambiguity present any challenges to you as an actor?
A: The ambiguity actually made my job easier. Whether he did it or not, I have a secret that no one knows about and so that definitely helped me play this person. I could look at Chris Evans or Michelle Dockery while we were shooting and remember that I knew something that they didn’t.
Q: You previously worked with Chris Evans on Knives Out, now he stars alongside you in Defending Jacob. What was it like working with him again on what I imagine is a very different project?
A: I actually found out that I was going to be doing Defending Jacob while we were shooting Knives Out, so we got to talk about the series and bond about our third upcoming project together. Knives Out was such a different and amazing experience, I was able to sit back and really watch how these talented actors worked. On Defending Jacob, we were definitely able to get closer because it was such a long and emotional journey. Chris has been doing this for a long time, so it was very educational to see how he approached his character and how he analyzed elements that I never think about. He is thinking about his body language, the blocking of the scene, and the meaning behind certain lines. He is a hard worker, but also a very kind and generous person.
Q: Dream role?
A: I want to play a bad guy, a really flawed, disturbed character like Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men.
Q: What’s next for you? What can we expect?
A: I am supposed to shoot a movie called Tunnels with Susan Sarandon, directed by John Krokidas.
Q: Where is the first place you’re going after self-isolation?
A: Straight to the movie theater. Even though all I’ve been doing is watching movies, I can’t explain how much I miss watching movies in the theater.
