Jason Burkey
Jason has been building a solid resume and racking up performance awards on the indie festival circuit, including the Heartland Film Festival’s coveted Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award and Envision Film Festival’s Best Actor Award for his performance in “Thin Ice”; and Best Actor accolades for his performance in the indie films “Date This” and “Moment of Truth.”
Jason reveals what attracted him to the project, his experience working with this directing team once again, and what's coming up in the near future.
Holly: Tell us a little about the newly released film “October Baby” and your role in it.
JASON: “October Baby” follows the journey of Hannah, a beautiful young woman who discovers that she's adopted and the survivor of a failed abortion. I play the role of JASON, her childhood best friend who encourages her to take a road trip to find answers about her past. My character is with Hannah every step of the way and really becomes the one truth that she has to hold onto throughout her journey.
Holly: The film also stars veteran actors John Schneider and Jasmine Guy. What was it like working with them?
JASON: I never actually got to share the screen with Jasmine Guy, but she is incredible. She has, what I believe, the most powerful scene in the movie. She's great. John was also amazing; very approachable and professional. He's a solid guy and a solid actor. I'm honored to have shared the screen with him!
Holly: How do you feel about being part of a film that puts forth such a hot topic?
JASON: You know, what initially drew me to the script was the story. Telling a good story is a filmmaker's (and actor's) job. It's simply a beautiful and well-crafted story that has universal themes of hope, love and forgiveness; it just also happens to be a story about abortion. I had never known that the words "abortion" and "survivor" could belong in the same sentence, but there are a lot of survivors out there. I've had the opportunity to meet a few of those people and they're beautiful.
Holly: This isn’t the first time you’ve worked with directors Jon and Andrew Erwin, can you tell us a about your work relationship and how that plays into the direction of your career.
JASON: Jon and Andy are incredibly talented guys. I, along with a handful of the “October Baby” cast and crew, had the chance to film a television pilot that the Erwins produced/ directed back in 2009. Unfortunately, the pilot didn’t get picked up, but we had formed such a tight-knit family on that set that we knew we wanted to work together again. So a year later, the Erwins said "we're getting the band back together" and they sent us the script for “October Baby.” They are ‘actor's director's’ -- meaning they collaborate with you and give you some freedom to explore your character and try new things. They're amazing guys and I wouldn't be where I am in my career today if not for them.
Holly: We want to keep an eye out for you in the future; can you tell us what you’re working on next?
JASON: Well thank you, I appreciate that. Yes, I actually have a few other independent features I did last year that should be hitting the festival circuit and I have a DVD release later in the year. Amongst them are the films, "The Screenwriters" and "The 10 Commandments of Chloe."
The best way to keep up to date with what I'm working on though is through my website: www.jasonburkey.net.
Thanks for sharing so much with us, Jason! We'll definitely be watching for you now and in the future!
