PHOSPHOR DIGITAL COVER
Jalen Thomas Brooks
JALEN THOMAS BROOKS Photography IRENE CHEN. Fashion CALLI MARTIN.
If you could swap lives with any
Las Vegas, Nevada and practically
What inspired you to make
fictional character for a day, who
grew up there. I played basketball
the leap from sports to acting,
would it be, and what would you
the majority of my life, and I had
and how did you navigate the
do?
D1 interest letters to go to college
transition from your initial interest
Edmund is one of the youngest
and some offers. When I stopped
in acting to actively pursuing it as
brothers in Narnia. I’m obsessed
playing basketball, I had a really
a career?
with the movie and all the books. I
hard time figuring out what to do
I loved writing and reading. I
would want to swap lives with him
next. I was watching The Hunger
had the opportunity to play at
just to be able to go from London
Games one day, and there were all
a high level really, really early in
to fantasy land. That would be sick.
these people who looked like they
basketball, but I didn’t know if I
were my age, and they were part
really wanted to go through those
What’s a unique talent you have
of this story. I wanted to be part of
hoops to play at that level. I’ve
that people might not know
a story like that.
always wanted to have some type
about?
My mom found me an acting class.
of impact in my community, but I
You’re not going to expect this, but
I got my agent through the class,
didn’t think the way for me to do
I’m actually a seasoned dungeon
and my agent got me auditions
it was going to be through playing
master for Dungeons & Dragons. I
in LA. My mom and I would drive
a sport. It was a gut decision
ran a two year campaign through
down from Las Vegas to LA with
where I didn’t really know the
COVID as a dungeon master. There
six hour’s notice. We would get a
reasoning, but I was just done.
were times where we would sit
call at nine at night for an audition
Luckily enough, my parents said, if
down and play for eight hours. It
at eight in the morning. I had
this is what you want, then we’ll let
was crazy. We were dedicated.
to get my lines down, wake up,
you do it. They weren’t hounding
I don’t tell a lot of people about
drive there, do it, and come back.
me about playing basketball
it, but when I do, they’re always
Sometimes, I would get a call back,
or going to college. There was
surprised.
so I had to drive back. Then things
something deep down within me
started sticking and I was able to
that was telling me that I should
If you were a superhero, what
keep going. It happened pretty fast
stop, so I listened to that. That
would your superpower be?
for me, but The Hunger Games is
initial response of listening to
I would want to have super speed
how I got into it, which is funny
myself helped me navigate acting,
like The Flash, strictly because if
because Thanksgiving and the new
because I wasn’t really listening
you have super speed, you would
Hunger Games movie have the
to the outside world, and I was
have super strength, you could
same release date.
letting my intuition lead me through
control time, and you could do
everything.
all these things if you used that
I also love that your mom was
superpower. As The Flash, you can
so supportive of you with your
You star as Bobby in Eli Roth’s
run super fast and go back in time,
classes and auditions and
movie, Thanksgiving, which is out
you can beat people up because
everything.
in theaters soon. Can you share
you can punch them so many times
She’s my best friend. I would not be
more about what drew you to
— you get everything in one.
here if it wasn’t for her. Shedrove
Bobby’s character initially, and
so much and put in so much time.
how you prepared for that role?
Can you share a little bit about
It was easy for me because I’d hop
I don’t want to spoil it, but
your background and what initially
in the car, sleep, and wake up in
something happens, and Bobby
sparked your interest in acting?
LA, but she was awake the whole
has to re-identify himself. He
I was born in LA, but I moved to
time because she had to drive.
disappears because something
4
PH O S PH O R • J AL E N TH OM AS B R OOKS
Top RAG & BONE, pants ORTTU, shoes DR. MARTENS.
Full look ORTTU, shoes ZARA.
about his identity changes, and it’s
I love it. I hope this made the final
tradition in the gap between
not a choice, but then he comes
cut. I feel like I could watch Rick
Halloween and Christmas.
back. For me, with basketball, I
do improv for hours.
knew what it was like to reimagine
He is so funny. I came into it
Is there a piece of advice you’ve
yourself in some place. That
stressing, but he’s amazing. He’s a
been given about acting that has
helped me gravitate towards him
cool dude. He’s one of those guys
stuck with you throughout your
and ground him because it was
where you get to know him, and
career?
a real issue for me and I went
his personality is so distinct that
I can’t remember his name, but a
through it in a different context.
when he texts you, you just hear
voice actor from an old cartoon
Bobby is going through the same
his voice. You can hear the way he
popped into my acting class one
thing. That’s how he comes back
says it.
day, and he told me that the best
to the town and tries to re-engage
acting class is outside, and to
with his old friends. That base
Is there a message or feeling that
go outside and experience life.
drew me to him and helped me get
you hope audiences take away
I see some of my friends hound
his two feet on the ground.
from the movie?
themselves about going to acting
I was talking to Eli about this, but
class and molding their skills,
What were some of your favorite
there is a huge message about
which is important, but it’s also
moments from set?
consumerism and what people will
really important to have a life
I have a lot. The whole cast gets
do to get a waffle iron at a Black
outside of acting. There’s a lot
along so well. Every single moment
Friday sale, and it’s very interesting
of down time in this business,
that we had with each other was
how Eli wove it in there. The movie
especially for actors, so finding
great. There was one specific time
is going to be a cult classic. It’s
other things that can round out
where I was doing a scene with
a horror film or slasher film like
your life actually helps your acting
Rick Hoffman. It was the first time I
Scream, I Know What You Did
in the long run. That has been
met him. He’s so hilarious. We were
Last Summer, and the other OGs.
freeing for me. Working on the
doing improv, and I’m not the best
I hope people are entertained. It
ranch in Oregon grounds me. It
at improv, so I was nervous and I
goes back to the old tropes but
helps me act and be more mellow.
didn’t know what to do. The whole
also turns old tropes on their head
Him telling me to go outside to
time, Rick was kind of making fun
and reimagines things. It’s really
learn about acting has been really
of me in the scene indirectly. He
going to be what people have been
beneficial to me, and I think about
was throwing jabs at me that I
waiting for with a slasher film. I
that every day.
didn’t know I was doing but in a
don’t think people are going to be
Brian Cox said that anybody could
light hearted way. It was so hard
disappointed by it at all.
be an actor. It’s not necessarily a
to keep a straight face because
hard thing to do. We all get in our
he was roasting me so hard, but
I feel like everyone has been
heads a lot. Of course, there are
it was so kind of him to do it. I
talking about the movie because
roles where you have to really,
had a come to consciousness
there hasn’t been one like it in a
really dial down and think hard and
moment where I realized, damn, I’m
while.
really get to the bones of it. It’s
doing an improv scene with Rick
The closest one has been the
equally important to allow yourself
Hoffman, and he’s roasting me so
Scream franchise, and that’s a
the space to do something else, be
hard. I think about that all the time,
franchise. This is a new thing. New
interested in other things, and get
but that was probably the best
killer, new costume for Halloween,
out of your head, so when you see
moment because it was just me,
and all that stuff. This could be a
these things, you can approach
him, and Karen Cliche.
new November or Thanksgiving
them truthfully.
PHO S P HOR • JA LEN T HOM AS B R OOKS
11
Top and jacket ZARA SRPLS, pants RAG & BONE, shoes ZARA.
Sweater ALL SAINTS, pants BODE, shoes NEW BALANCE.
How has the way you approach
the highs and lows of working
good. Go Tell It on the Mountain is
roles and storytelling in general
as an actor or being in the
also really good. One of those two.
changed as you’ve continued in
entertainment industry?
I’d say Giovanni’s Room. Somehow,
your career?
Everything ebbs and flows in life.
if I could be in that, that would be
Of course, starting out, you want
My mom and my brother have
amazing.
to get the lead role, and you want
been anchor points for me and
to be the big person in the movie.
helped me understand that this is
Are there any themes or
Then you start doing it, and you
just the way everything in life is.
messages in your roles that you
start falling in love with the puzzle
The entertainment industry is a
hope to continue exploring in
pieces and how it’s a team thing
huge rollercoaster all the time, but
future projects?
where everyone has to hit their
so is everything else. You have to
Right now, I want to tell really
notes. I’ll be completely honest,
understand that if it’s down, it’s
cool, simple stories. I love simple
when I was first getting into it, I
going to go back up. When you’re
stories with simple yet profound
was kind of selfish. I wanted to
up there, enjoy it, because you
messages. Inside Out is really
do all this stuff. Now, I just want
could go back down. You have to
simple, but it’s so original and the
to make sure that I know my
be at peace no matter where you
message connects to all ages. It’s
part. However big or small it is, I
are. My mom and my brother really
timeless. Art can be a very simple
want to make sure that my part
helped me be present and grateful
thing, and when it’s simple, it lasts
is the best I can make it, so I can
for what I have in front of me. Even
a long time. I hope that I can add
help the project in the best way
if what I have in front of me is not
simplicity to stories that people
possible. Going back to basketball,
what I dream of having, it’s still
of all ages and backgrounds can
my coach used to tell us to be
important to recognize that I’m on
gravitate towards.
the energy maker, not the energy
this journey, and this might not be
There is a quote from one of my
taker. I approach acting like that.
the destination, but it’s all part of it.
favorite movies about time based
Even if it’s a small role, I’m going to
art. That’s why paintings are so
put so much energy into that role
If you could collaborate with
cool. They’re just there. You can
that it helps everyone else, and
any actor or director, living or
look at a painting one day and
take the ego away from everything.
deceased, who would it be and
see something that you didn’t see
what kind of project would you
yesterday. It could be a painting
What have been some of the most
want to work on?
of a sunset, but then you see a
rewarding aspects of your acting
I would love to work with Barry
certain stroke of the paint, and it
career so far?
Jenkins. He did Moonlight and If
changes how you see it. If you go
Meeting so many cool people and
Beale Street Could Talk, and he
back and watch Monsters, Inc.
being able to travel across the
also adapted one of my favorite
now, the movie is really crazy. It’s
country at a young age has been
authors, James Baldwin. If Barry
really sad. As a little kid, it’s so fun
really rewarding. It’s been great to
Jenkins ever adapted any other
and so simple, but when you get
see new places that not everyone
James Baldwin books, I would love
older, you realize that there’s a lot
would get to see, explore different
to be a part of that. I love James
of deeper meaning that’s layered
cities on your off days, try new
Baldwin, and I love Barry Jenkins.
in.
food, and work with a lot of great people.
If you could pick any James Baldwin book to be adapted into a
You touched on this a little bit
movie, which would it be?
earlier, but how do you handle
Giovanni’s Room is really, really
16
PH O S PH O R • J AL E N TH OM AS B R OOKS
Shirt RAG & BONE, jacket SCOTCH & SODA, pants ZARA, shoes TIMBERLAND.
Full look ORTTU, shoes ZARA, rings stylist’s own. Words IRENE CHEN. Hair SAMM CASTRO. Makeup ALEXANDRA ROMANENKO. Retouch K.HOUSE.
PHOSPHOR