Hello, my name is Jacob.

I live in a suburb of Milwaukee with my parents and one little sister named Evie. I have a dog named Bacon. My favorite subjects in school are social studies and history. In my spare time I love to play soccer, cello, sing and act. Outside of school, I spend a lot of time acting because it is my favorite thing! I have been in a ton of plays on stage, a few commercials on television, three independent films and two television shows!

When my mom told me I was cast on INTO THE OUTDOORS, I was sooooo excited! I want to be a professional actor when I grow up so this fits perfectly into my long-term plan! I am thrilled to be on this show because I love the outdoors. I have spent so much time fishing with my dad and hiking with my family. Our family has a lake house in Northern Wisconsin so I am very lucky to spend time up there in the summer! All my friends can’t wait to see me on INTO THE OUTDOORS! We all watch the show so we are going to have a party at my house when the show premiers!

Q: How did you get picked to be on Into the Outdoors?

A: We contacted the producers of the show and they sent a script to me. I memorized the script and my parents videotaped me. We e-mailed the video to the producers and they hired me the next day!

Q: How do your friends and family feel about you being a host on Into the Outdoors?

A: My friends and family love it and they thought that it would be a great part for me to play because I love acting and I love the outdoors.


Q: What is the best part about being on Into the Outdoors?  And the coolest thing you’ve ever gotten to do on a shoot?

A: The best part about being on Into the Outdoors is that I can show my friends and family.  I think that the coolest part was doing the voiceovers in a sound studio.

Q: Did you learn anything interesting on your shoot that you didn’t know before?

A: I learned that American Indians prefer to be called American Indians rather than Native Americans.  It is because anyone who was born here is native to this land and therefore a Native American.  The term American Indian distinguishes them from other Native Americans.

Q: What did you learn about the shooting process of Into the Outdoors that you didn’t know before you did it?

A: I learned that without someone to interview, it is difficult to film your segment.  Unfortunately, the man I was scheduled to interview got sick at the last minute so we had to reschedule for the following week.  He was feeling better the next week and he was such an interesting person to talk to so he was worth the wait!   Then I was sick the morning of the interview, but I pushed through and I don’t think that anyone will notice that I was not feeling my best!  The show must go on!

Q: What is a normal shoot for you like?  Do you get to travel?

A: I have only completed one show so far for Into the Outdoors. We did have to travel to Hayward, Wisconsin twice though for one shoot because the person I interviewed got sick at the last minute. I really enjoyed travelling and the producer and cameraman who we travelled with were really fun! They took us all to dinner and they even treated us to the best ice cream ever!

Q: Do you have to wear make-up or special clothes?  Who decides these things?  Do you hang out with the crew?  I have so many questions I don’t know where to start… tell me everything?

A: We did not have to wear any special clothes because we were trying to make it look casual. I did not have to wear any make-up either. I just picked out some clothes that I would normally wear if I were exploring the outdoors.

Q: Is it hard to make up school work when you have to miss class for an Into the Outdoors shoot?  When do you make up the work?  And, would your parents still let you be a part of the ITO cast if your grades started to go down?

A: It actually was not very hard to make up work because we had the time in the car the time at the hotel. I did miss a few days two weeks in a row because of the shooting schedule, but I was lucky because one of the days was a school vacation day for me! I do a lot of acting and I am very good about making up my work and communicating with my teachers to make sure that everything gets done.

Q: How many Into the Outdoors episodes have you been in?

A: I have only been in episode of Into the Outdoors so far but I would be thrilled to be in another episode soon! It has been one of my favorite acting experiences!

Q: What do you do for fun when you’re not shooting Into the Outdoors?

A: When I am not shooting Into the Outdoors, I like to play soccer, sing, act and hang out with my friends. I also enjoy fishing, boating, hiking and recently I started to hunt for edible mushrooms with my family. 

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?  And do you listen to it between shots or locations on a shoot?

A: I enjoy all types of music.  Recently I have been listening to Broadway music because I have had quite a few auditions for musicals.

Q: What is your favorite movie and why?

A: I really love the movie To Kill a Mockingbird and Spongebob Squarepants.

Q: Have you done any acting before? If so, what has been your favorite role(s)?

A: I have been acting for quite a few years now.  I was recently on the television show The Chicago Code on Fox Television, a few commercials, a few independent films and quite a few plays in the Milwaukee area.  I was really excited to win the Best Actor Award in the 2009 Milwaukee Firestarter Film Festival because I was competing against so many talented actors including adults!  My favorite role I have played was probably as Idyllia Boy in “My Son Pinocchio” the Musical by Steven Schwartz at First Stage Children’s Theater in Milwaukee.

Q: What kind of activities do you participate in at school and in your community?

A: I love to play soccer and go camping with my family.  I am also active at my church.   I am usually working on some type of acting project such as a play or filming something for television or getting ready for my next audition. 

Q: If you could be ANYTHING in the world when you grow up, what would it be?  What’s so cool about it… and is that what you’ve you always wanted to be?

A: When I grow up I want to continue to be an actor. Like most kids, I have not always wanted to be an actor though. I used to want to be a race car driver (of course that was when I was five). I feel like my experience with Into the Outdoors fits perfectly into my long-term plan to be a working professional actor. Thanks so much for the wonderful experience!