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Jon Young is a former D1 college baseball player turned actor that is taking Hollywood by storm. His latest role in the HBO hit show “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers’ Dynasty” has been the first of what will be many for this actor. Recently, I sat down for an interview with Jon on his journey to Hollywood, his love of baseball, and much more.
- Hello, Jon Young. We are pleased to have you here with us. You are really a successful star and your fans already know a lot about you. But, we are keenly interested to know how you landed in the field of acting? I have always acted for fun since I was 12 years old. I love to perform. I sort of impulsively decided at age 24 to pursue it professionally while I’m still young. So far it appears to have been a good decision!
- Do you see any connection between your childhood inclinations and the field of acting? At what age did you start acting? I’ve mostly just enjoyed performing my entire life. Whether on the stage or the baseball field. And I also feel like I have a knack for it. It was an easy decision to pursue it professionally.
- Young, will you please tell us that movie made you fall in love with acting and follow the same field as the profession? I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve every year. I cry watching movies often. But this is the only movie that made me cry tears of joy. It moves me every time I rewatch. The acting and storytelling is so unbelievably powerful.
- Since you went through the loss of your parents at a very young age, would you please tell us how you managed this traumatic phase? It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. But I’m so fortunate to have an amazing support system in my brother and close friends. They have helped me immensely in continuing to move forward with my life.
- Challenges are, no doubt, a part of life but what role did they play in your life? To what extent do you agree that they prepare us for the battles we fight for the pursuit of our goals? Well I don’t think I’d be here doing what I’m doing if I hadn’t faced the challenges that I did. You don’t learn anything and you can’t grow without facing adversity.
- Performing an act in front of a camera is not an easy task. Many people want to know how you train your mind to immerse yourself into a character. The first thing you need is understanding. Don’t judge your character, rather try to ‘know’ him/her. After that it’s all in the preparation of knowing your lines and discovering how someone you’re playing would react in certain situations.
- Brad Holland is a highly acknowledged character in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. What inspired you to accept the offer of playing this role? Hey, beggars can’t be choosers. This was my first series regular role on the highly touted HBO network. I was more than happy to accept, and I’ll be forever grateful to the production for giving me my first shot.
- How was your experience of working at the set of “ Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty? Such a high budget. Incredibly well-known and talented actors. An unbelievable crew. What more needs to be said?
- Working with experienced artists is not less than a blessing. What did you learn while working with John C. Reilly? Some actors are more hands on with younger actors. Some need space for their process.
- What feedback did you anticipate for Brad Holland from the viewers? Has the feedback been up to your expectations? My close family and friends have been proud and the people have been supportive and excited that my hard work has paid off!
- How was your experience of working in the Netflix mini series Hollywood? What did you learn during working with Darren Criss and Dylan McDermott and Alien Predator? Working on ‘Hollywood’ was very interesting as it was my first big set experience. I was able to see how the hollywood machine works. Alien Predator was also exciting as it was my first speaking role in LA. I still keep a solid relationship with the great people over at The Asylum.
- Your fans are curious to know about the role your Grad School, Rutger College played in your personal as well as professional growth. Rutgers helped educate me in finance and business. Having the talent to succeed in Hollywood isn’t enough. You need to understand the business as well!
- Jon Young, your fans are also curious to know about another important aspect of your life. Yes, I am talking about baseball. How did you develop so much love for baseball? My dad got me into sports at a very young age. I was always solid at sports, but when I turned 16 it was obvious that I truly excelled at baseball. I played in college and I will always cherish that.
- Tell us something about your baseball adventures? The best part about playing baseball at Rutgers was the traveling. I was able to see so much of the country and countless universities. That’s not an experience enough people are lucky to have.
- Then, you might have won many titles and awards in baseball. What awards have you won for your outstanding performance? The two that stand out are when my high school team won the championship. It was so special to win with all the guys I played with growing up. The other is the MVP award I won in the national collegiate baseball tournament with the New Brunswick Matrix. I won the MVP as a pitcher, which is no easy task.
- How does baseball help you in your acting career? Sports in general are super helpful when it comes to discipline and time management.
- We have learnt that you are actively engaged in charity work. What areas have you worked in? The main charity I have worked with is the Jimmy V foundation for cancer research. I lost my mom to cancer, so that has been a priority of mine.
- How do you spend your leisure time? I travel as much as I can afford to. I love experiencing new places and adventuring the unknown (to me at least).
