Jack Wright on exploring emotional vulnerability

You were at the Academy Awards this past weekend. It must have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience to attend one of the biggest events in the entertainment industry. If you could steal any celebrity’s look from the red carpet at the Oscars, who would it be?

I have so many favorites. First, I would say John Cena when he walked out on stage. I loved Paul Mescal’s outfit. [He wore] flared trousers and [a] cream-tone jacket. I also loved Robert Downey Jr.’s outfit with his bolo tie, western belt, and boots. These events are changing with fashion. I really like how each piece is so different now.

I had a feeling you were going to say John Cena.

I’m so predictable. 

Before your success on social media, where did you see yourself at age 20? Currently, with where you are in your career, where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Before social media, I had so many things I wanted to do. I thought, “All right. I’m going to keep living in the present and not think about the future.” My twin and my older brother had it pretty figured out. I knew I wanted to do something on the creative side of things. I really enjoyed acting when I was a little kid, and I still wanted to pursue that, but I didn’t know how to go about it. When social media started getting big with TikTok, I thought that it might be a chance to get into acting again. That’s how it happened. Before that, I wanted to be an orthodontist or go into the military. I had no idea what I wanted to do. With acting, you can do it all because you’re playing different roles.

Speaking about the more creative side of things and acting, you recently shared some footage from your upcoming acting project, One Stupid Thing. Based on your acting, it seemed to be a particularly intense scene. As a content creator and now an actor, could you tell me more about being emotionally and mentally vulnerable on camera?

It’s so important to be human and show your truest emotions on camera because it’s relatable. Other people don’t think that you’re always happy all the time or that you’re always experiencing great things. We’re all human. Whether it’s filming a movie or posting on social media, being vulnerable with your emotions to an audience is so important because it can help people out there feel like they’re not alone.

As someone who is active on social media, I’m sure you know how much influence it has over our lives, whether constructive or destructive. You’ve been open about your own experiences with mental health online. How do you stay authentic to yourself in spite of all that?

It’s been a journey living in LA and being on social media, but I try to keep myself [busy] and keep doing the things I like to do. I like to journal. [It helps me stay] accountable with my emotions. It’s so easy to live day by day and forget about what you’re experiencing or going through, but journaling reminds you of your daily life. Talking to people is so important. There’s such a big community out there waiting to talk to you. I truly think it’s so important to talk about it. I love talking with my family.

You mentioned that your family is a really strong support network for you. Is there anything or anyone else that inspires you both in your career and in your personal life?

Every single one of my friends inspires me. That’s what’s so important about a friendship: you look up to each other, you inspire each other, [and] you talk about [things]. My roommates [and] the people that are closest [to] me are definitely some of the people that I look up to [the] most.

In relation to your acting career, are there any specific TV shows, movies, or actors that inspired you to pursue acting in the first place?

[There are] so many shows and movies I could share, but I’m trying to think of [the] ones I love [the most]. I really loved the movie Good Will Hunting. [It’s] so raw and a great film overall. La La Land definitely inspires me to be an actor. It’s so weird, because it’s probably the opposite of what La La Land should tell you. I feel like in La La Land, the message was “don’t become an actor,” but it made me realize that acting was something that I wanted to do. And Whiplash and Interstellar. Midsommar and Shawshank Redemption made me feel like it’s so much bigger than me.

I imagine seeing Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in real life at the Oscars must have been surreal for you. 

Emma Stone is one of my favorite actresses, so it was so amazing. I also love Ryan Gosling. They’re definitely two of my favorite actors.