Phosphor Magazine, Digital - Jalen Thomas Brooks

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Jalen Thomas Brooks

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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

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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.

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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

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