MAN OF THE HOUR

If you are a working actor, then you know what the struggle is like to get your foot in the door of Hollywood.  And if youare waiting tables, running from audition to audition searching for that role that will start you on the path to prosperity (no political relations), then you too know what it takes to make that move into the spotlight.  Well, actor Phillip Jeanmaire lies somewhere in-between.  He no longer is trying to get his foot in the door, having caught his big break with a role on the now-defunct NBC daytime drama, Passions. Currently,however, he can be seen appearing in the popular web series titled Workshop. 

So join me as we get to know the man and the actor who has been making waves on the TV and computer screen. 

Adam Nole: This is going to be an interesting start to an interview, but you got your start playing Max Cooper on the children’s television series The Power Rangers Wild Force.  How did that role come about? 

Phillip Jeanmarie: Audition, audition, audition. I think I auditioned 6 times before I got the part. It was definitely well worth it. Having an action figure with your face on it is something I’m definitely gonna brag to my kid about. Haha.

AN:  How do you feel it prepared your future work in the film and television industry?

PJ: It was one of the best experiences I had as an actor. Not only did we get to act, but we also got to do fight choreography, stunt wire work, green screen, ADR (additional dialogue replacement). It was a great learning experience.

AN: Now let’s rewind for a bit.  One question is always asked of actors and it won’t be lost on you.  When did you know you wanted to be an actor? 

PJ: I can remember being as young as five and Michael Jackson was my hero; I would always perform as him in front of this bank on the way to school.

AN:  I’m jealous.  You attended the American Academy of Dramatic, one of the best schools for thespians in the country.  What was one of the best things you learned while attending and how has it helped you evolve as an actor?

PJ: I went to AADA (west) right after graduating high school, and it definitely forced me to take an honest look at myself and become more self-aware. I grew up too because in high school I was a “hyper active I don’t care as long as it makes people laugh fucker.” LOL.  Yeah, I was that guy.

AN: After a series of guest spots in primetime and small roles in films, you landed your most popular role to date on the now-defunct daytime drama Passions, cast in therole of the villainous Vincent Clarkson. Not only was he a murderer and rapist, but was later revealed to be a hermaphrodite pregnant with his own father’schild.  How did you get the part?

PJ: When I auditioned for Passions, it was for the role of“peeping tom.” I thought to myself, “Ok, I’ll just go in there and ‘peep,’” but when I read the sides, I was like “Oh, my God!” This “peeping tom” is actually raping this girl and not doing any peeping at all. I went in and got the part the next day.  The role of “peeping tom” evolved to Vincent Clarkson, thanks to James E. Reilly (RIP) because I was initially suppose to be working on the soap for four days but ended being on the show for a year and a half.

AN:  A lot of people in Hollywood lookdown upon daytime and many people don’t see it as a legitimate choice in an actor’s career.  In comparison to your other work, how was the pace of acting in a daily drama?

PJ: Being on a soap definitely made me a better cold reader. I’m able to learn my lines with ease now. And that’s because when you shoot, sometimes you’re shooting all your scenes for two episodes that day. Having to memorize lines for 15 five-page scenes can be nerve-racking, but it definitely forced me to make choices as an actor and move on to the next. I loved it.

AN:  For those readers who don’t know, daytime actors don’t always know what their characters are going to be doing until they read it in the scripts.  So were you surprised when you learned that Vincent was going to be revealed to be a hermaphrodite?

PJ: A part of me was surprised and a part of me wasn’t just because Passions wasn’t your average soap opera. It pushed the boundaries and limits of what other soap operas didn’t dare to do.

AN:  Despitethe heinous crimes of your daytime alter ego, you managed to become hugely popular by most loyal fans of the show. Yet sadly that had to come to an end when the series was canceled in 2008.   Your next gig came about when you were cast in the fledging web series Workshop.  What is the story behind how you came join the series?

PJ: I met Nate Golon and Kimberly Legg at an actor’s workshop, and we were joking around saying it would be cool to have a show about actors trying to make it in Hollywood. Nate took the idea and ran with it; now we’re inseason two, we just got picked up by hulu. It’s really exciting.

AN:  You playthe role of Adam Saltier, one of the many characters in the series that is struggling to make it big as an actor in L.A. Does Adam’s experience mirror your own?

PJ: I can’t necessarily say Adam’s experience mirrors my own. For one, he’s much more successful than I am. Haha.

AN: I’ve often considered Workshop to be the Entourage for 99% of actors in Hollywood.  Would you agree with that assessment?

PJ: I wouldn’t necessarily agree, but what makes Entourage soap pealing is because of its candid portrayal of the inner workings of show business. With Workshop, it’s an honest comedic look at what actors go through.

AN: In Season 1 Adam went through some bizarre experiences in his quest to try to land that big break.  What trials and tribulations will Adam experiences as the current season continues?

PJ: Adam’s career is beginning to take off, but with his success there comes a list of problems and misinterpretations of his actual self.

AN:  Now would you consider Workshop a comedy or a dramedy?

PJ: A dramedy.

AN: What are you reading right now?

PJ: Right now, I just got into audio books and listened to The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Quick listen and a great book about change and how epidemics occur. I give it a thumbs up.

AN: Android or Iphone?

PJ: Iphone all day. Talking on the phone is overrated anyway. :-p

AN: Theme song to your life?

PJ: I wouldn't say I have atheme song, but I do have a mantra: Never Give Up. Which came about because my character on Power Rangers Wild Force, Max Cooper would live by that phrase. Sounds corny but I love its simplicity and it maintains my faith.

AN: What does “man of the hour” mean to you?

PJ: Being featured on Man ofthe Hour is an honor and I'm grateful for websites such as this.

You can check out workshop here or on hulu.