There are people who were just plain born to be actors. Who just naturally have “it”, whatever “it” might happen to be: a gift of gab, a preternatural presence, a special insight into the complexities of character, or just a simple knack for making us laugh with glee.
And then there are others who might not have shown it from the start. But buried inside them, like the hidden statue inside the block of stone that has to be sculpted in order to be revealed, lies a dizzying talent only brought to the spotlight through diligent, scrupulous labor.
Now, I didn’t know Jesse Benefield as a kid, so I have no idea if it was obvious from the start or not. But having worked with him at the Actor’s Lab for nearly two years, I’m profoundly aware of how hard he works to deliver performances that seem both absolutely effortless and divinely inspired. Breaking all his sweat on the inside, while blowing us away out here, whether acting with him or just standing back in awe.
Which is to say, he is fucking phenomenal. There is no doubt in my mind that he is gonna make his mark in the wider entertain-o-sphere. And one of the most gratifying things about making The Great Divide, for me, was hearing him say that this experience validated the last ten years of his life, by giving him a chance to demonstrate the fruits of his labor and devotion.
I would cast Jesse in anything. And plan to do so like crazy, from here on in. So please enjoy this brief interview with an incredible actor, most excellent young man, and – you heard it here first – serious star-in-the-making.
“THAT’S HOW I KNOW WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO”