Hollywood.com caught up with Joshua Jackson, the one-time Dawson’s Creek star who’s coming into his own as an adult performer in director James Burke’s Aurora Borealis, a deeply felt drama in which he plays an irresponsible twentysomething who finally finds himself moving into adulthood when he takes a job as a handyman in the senior residence where his Alzheimer’s afflicted grandfather (Donald Sutherland in a staggering performance). It’s the role will make you forget Pacey.
Hollywood.com: What was it that you loved about playing this character?
Joshua Jackson: I really enjoyed playing this character at the age of 25, since that is where I was at, at the time. But most of time you look at the character and want to smack them. But this guy isn’t that. Ultimately he gets his head out of his ass and re-engages himself. Usually they are the characters that are really intelligent, but use their intelligence against themselves. They say “Oh well, I’m over it. Nothing can be done. Why even bother?” It’s kind of a reflection of the ironic detachment generation that we are a part of. It bothers me because we haven’t really earned it. We haven’t had a great test as a generation—Overly medicated and under-motivated. Hardship is a good thing. I’m not saying to take food off the table: of course you want to give your kids the necessities that they need, but there needs to be the possibility of failure so you can feel like you’ve actually accomplished something. I’ve seen it a lot in my lifetime with people who are constantly being bailed out. My mother was very supportive. I don’t come from a wealthy background, but I was emotionally supported.
HW: Have you had any experience with Alzheimer’s Disease in your own family?
JJ: No. I can say thankful that I don’t have anyone in my family with that. The thing spoke immediately to me not having gone through that. It was the place where Duncan finds himself in the beginning of movie of not knowing who you are as a man. He’s in the phase where he’s too young to act like a kid but not quite feeling like a man with a purpose or passion in your life. And at the age of 25 I think it’s difficult to know who you are. I felt that the film dealt with the reality of family and their relationships, even if you took out the Alzheimer it’s about the relationship with Duncan and his grandfather, his brother. They’re real. They make mistakes. They fight. But they ultimately are there for each other. And when I was younger I lived in Minneapolis so even on the first page of the script I know these people. I grew up around people like them. It just seemed like a natural fit.
HW: Did you know you would be playing opposite Donald Sutherland before you signed on?
JJ: I was actually the first actor who was on board. When I read the script I knew I just had to be apart of it. Before anyone else I said I’ve got to be apart of this movie because I love it love it love it. And then the next thing was hiring Juliette Lewis who’s great. She’s was wonderful in the audition process. In the same way that I was so motivated that I hounded these guys she actually flew herself down I believe she was shooting in Calgary at the time and she flew herself down for the audition. She’s brilliant in it and it allows her to be a romantic lead. She’s so adeptive to playing the I guess you’d call them the oddball roles; she’s so adept to making human people who I think would be kind of obtuse if it wasn’t played by her. This is a romantic lead where she gets to play a woman which is kind of oddly much more a main stream role for her. Which is great for her. When Donald came on and Luis came on at the very last moment and all of sudden we had this stellar cast. Which is another benefit to working in independent film I’ve always found. No one is getting paid. You’re not there for the paycheck. The reasons are that you are either so motivated to work with the people you want to work with or and hopefully both of these things happen you find a piece that you just want to be apart of telling that story. And this was that for me. I just read it and knew I knew. We shot it in August of 2004. I give a lot of credit to Scott and James for sticking with this movie. There are alternative endings for independent film. They could have sold it on DVD, sold it to television. There’s a lot of things they could have done that I just don’t think would have honored the quality of the film that it is. And it’s a testament to both of those guys. They believed from beginning to end that this material so much that they really stuck with it. And it’s really hard thing. We’re just trying to get the word out. That’s what makes independent film difficult.
HW: People are calling this a breakthrough performance. Do you feel you trying to break away from the character that most people know you best from as Pacey on Dawson’s Creek?
JJ: It’s not so much that I feel like I was trying to break away. I have absolutely no shame for being on that show. There were times when it was really good and then there were times when it was actually really bad. It was what it was. It was a huge blessing in my life. I guess because I’ve been doing it for so long I just never really defined my work life by one character. Even though I can’t imagine I’ll ever be apart of even a huge blockbuster movie that has as much cultural impact or at least awareness as that show. It’s everywhere on the planet in a bunch of different languages. I don’t feel defined by that character. As an actor you have to just keep on growing and changing. People ask and it’s totally a legitimate question of do you feel you’re going to be pigeon holed as that one character. I always said I’ll only be pigeonholed if I’m not good enough to do anything else. So I don’t have the answer, because hopefully I’ll be able to answer that because I’ll still be working. But if I do, then that means I don’t have anything else to offer. It would be unfortunate if that happened.
HW: You’ve been in the business for a while now. How do you dealt with the rejection in the business, type casting, and even tabloids.
JJ: Because I love acting. That’s what it all comes down to. Of course there are the obviously reasons that people are attracted to the film industry being an actor in television or film. It’s a question I get a lot by young actors who say they are starting out and how they break in the business. And really it boils down to ask yourself the question “Do you like acting or not?” because if you love acting and can be satisfied with regional theater and you’ll be constantly motivated, accept rejection and move on and learn, hopefully. And it is sometimes depressing when you find something you like and you don’t get it. It’s rare when I read this script I thought it was just excellent. Here I am 25 years old at the time, it’s a fully fleshed-out character, which is really rare for that age and there’s a lot of competition. Frankly I think I made myself such a pain that they had to hire me. I went in and was like “Look, I get this.” It doesn’t happen all the time but I’m the right actor at the time and I completely understand who these people are.
HW: It’s only been three years since Dawson’s Creek wrapped but so much has changed for everyone in the cast.
JJ: I know. They’re all married with kids now. Wait, Michelle isn’t and Katie…Well I guess for all intensive purposes they’re all married. But it was kind our college years, and now it time for the next chapter. It’s only natural. Things change as you get older. Even for me going from 25 to 28 so much has changed.
HW: Do you still keep in touch with Katie Holmes?
JJ: I haven’t talked to Katie for a year and half, so I really can’t comment on her [now]. When we started she was the sweetest, most innocent–I’m mean so green you couldn’t believe it. When she started she didn’t know marks. It was definitely learning experience for her. She just had this light. I mean she made that show. If it wasn’t for her that show wouldn’t have worked.
Reporting by Margi Blash
