Q/A With Jake Goldberg

Former child star gets real about life, society, and his return to the acting world.

Jake Goldberg (24) is a former child actor that primarily did on camera and voice over work. He had a few guest star roles on shows like 30 Rock and Law and Order SVU. Jake was the voice of Pablo in the Backyardigans, an animated kids show on Nickelodeon. Jake’s most notable role was in Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2 where he played Adam Sandler’s older son. 

After being removed from the acting world for so long, Jake is working on reintegrating himself back into the industry where he hopes to land some roles in the near future.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you face as you try to restart your career?

J: One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced has been regaining the confidence I once had as an actor. It’s been a little over a year since I’ve gotten back into it and I was very nervous and unsure of myself at first. That being said, it’s a process that I’ve enjoyed. It’s been humbling. 

Q: Why did you stop pursuing acting? 

J: There were many times I felt like I didn’t belong in this industry. I had worked with a lot of other child actors and I often had a hard time relating to them. These kids were performers at birth. Lived and breathed the craft. Born to be on stage or behind the camera. Many had moved from their home states to accommodate their careers, started homeschooling and essentially committed every aspect of their life to acting. It intimidated me and made me feel like I wasn’t entirely worthy. Aside from this, a large part of me just wanted to do what an average kid my age did. I loved hanging out with friends, playing sports and really just doing what everyone else was doing: Being a punk ass little kid. At the time my acting career prevented me from doing a lot of these things because I was very busy with auditions and work. This eventually led me to resent acting because it made me feel like I was missing out on a lot of what my friends were doing. 

Q: Why did you come back to acting? 

J: I came back to acting because I was able to gain some clarity after graduating college. My first year out I worked at an advertising agency, your average 9-5. Although this was a relatively creative environment, it didn’t provide me with the stimulation I have always needed. I felt restrained and not at all fulfilled by the work I was doing. Aside from this, I had a much larger revelation about who I was as a person and what I needed in order to be happy. I labeled myself as “an artist”  which I had never done before because I found it to be kinda corny. It was just a label but it actually helped me narrow my focus and fully commit to acting as my creative outlet. I realized it wasn’t just acting that I loved it was art in all forms and mediums. I saw and still see acting as the best way for me to get to where I want to be as an artist of many crafts. The itch resurfaced and I must now scratch. 

Q: What were some of the challenges you’ve experienced growing up as a child actor?

This ties into why I stopped acting in the first place. Balancing my acting career and social life was always a challenge. Fitting in with the acting scene, I found that a lot of the kids I was working with were all very similar in character and I never felt like I fit that mold. I’m by no means a shy or quiet person but I was always “the quiet one” which didn’t make sense to me because I never saw myself as that.

Q: What were some of your best moments you’ve had as a child actor? What were some of your worst moments?

J: Working and actually acting on a set. I think all actors would agree. Seeing the final product of days, weeks or months of work was awesome, and knowing that I was a part of that felt really good. My worst moments often had to do with me feeling forced to act when I was no longer interested in doing so. It took me a long time to finally say “ok, go to college and take a break”. I was acting without passion for a while and that sucked. A more specific moment was while shooting the first grown ups. I was fairly young at the time and was seen as along with the other child actors, a liability on set. I pretty much had a babysitter on my shadow, escorting me to the bathroom, following me around. I wasn’t great at dealing with this at the time. Having someone telling me what I can and can’t do all day was very frustrating and I often lashed out. I've never done well with authority figures. 

Q: The cast of the movie Grown Ups 2 was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award. Have you found that has put a mark on your career? If so, what do you have to say about that?

J: Many of my cast members continue to have very successful careers after Grown Ups and are still doing incredible work today. If anything I think Grown Ups launched the careers of many. There's a misconception about being in “bad” movies and it affecting your career. I think if you have already created a name for yourself and then star in a “bad” movie it can certainly impact your career and trajectory just like starring in a “good” movie can. Overall, the raspberry awards are just a fun novelty, a parody of sorts. I don’t think anyone looks at these awards and takes them seriously, especially when it comes to emerging actors. 

Q: What do you think most people get wrong about acting? 

J: It’s work. It’s business. Like every other industry, the goal is to make money. There are stressful days on set, early mornings and late nights. A lot of pressure is put on those involved in a production. Everyone has a role they must execute so things go accordingly. Aside from this, acting is a career of many doubts and a lot of uncertainty. A lot of failure and very little success. Many valleys, few peaks. It’s a long haul and the only person to get you through it is you. No one is there to tell you you’re doing a good job, making progress or getting close. You just have to trust yourself and the process. 

Q: You mentioned that you feel that there’s different sides to you, a side that people see, and a side that is hidden. Can you elaborate on that?

J: When we met the first time, you mentioned that you want me to bring my genuine self to the shoot and these questions. To which I responded “I’ll bring you what I am today”. There are no sides to me. We are complex beings with complex thoughts and emotions. I don’t think either side is necessarily hidden or seen. Whatever I am that day is what I will be. Whether it’s wild and outgoing, reserved and introverted everything outside and in between.  I can’t say that I’m this side one day and that side the other, it’s more complicated than that. I can be both and neither. I can be one and not the other.

Q: Who is Jake Goldberg really? 

J: Jake Goldberg is the name given to me. That’s what that is. He, me, I, Jake if you want to call him that doesn’t know who he is really. I think getting to know who you are “really” is the journey of life. At no point will I stop and say “this is who you are”. It doesn’t work like that. We are ever growing and constantly evolving whether we know it or not. At the core, Jake Goldberg is who he’s always been. He’s him, he’s you, he’s me, he’s everyone and most importantly he’s no one at all. 

Q: How do you feel about social media? Your media presence portrays you as someone that might come off as silly and a bit cocky. What do you have to say to that? 

J: I love social media. I think it’s an awesome creative outlet. At least that’s what I use it for. I like having the freedom to be whoever I want to be at any given day. I try not to take it too seriously and just have fun with it. I love posting weird, funny, silly, crude and random content. I love the shock factor and I love making people laugh. I think my social media presence comes off as silly and cocky because I post on Instagram when I’m feeling silly and cocky. It’s not that I’m ever trying to hide one “side” of me but more so that I just don’t feel like posting when I’m feeling off or in my head.  A lot of people use social media to address societal issues, personal issues, etc. I use social media to entertain myself and others. 

Q: Do you find social media beneficial? If so why? If no, why not?

J: It can be beneficial and it can also be detrimental. All depends on your relationship with it. I have found social media to be incredibly addictive. I've definitely felt a sort of imposter syndrome at times. Questioning whether I am being true to myself or whether I’m trying to portray myself in an inauthentic way. Ultimately these anxieties come from societal pressure. People constantly telling other people they’re being fake or not true. No one has the right to tell you what you are and what you aren’t because you can truly be anything and anyone on any given day. There is nothing wrong with trying to be someone or something, even you don’t  exactly fit that specific mold.  If you are attracted to a certain style of expression or identify a certain way then go with it. Trends are real, influence is real, pop-culture is real. How are we expected to “stay true” to “who we are” when things are constantly changing both internally and externally?

Q: What inspires you to wake up everyday and chase after your dreams?

J: Inspiration doesn’t come everyday. There are days I wake up uninspired and unmotivated. These are the days that matter. It’s what you do with these days that makes the difference. I know what it feels like to work for something and not get it. I also know what it feels like to work for something and get it. Neither are important. Being entirely goal oriented as an actor will wear you out. The process is what matters and enjoying it is imperative. Seeing progress, feeling fulfilled and knowing I’m moving in the right direction whether it feels like it or not. That’s what inspires me. The work will come.  

Q:  What do you think most people get wrong about you? 

J: I’m not too worried about what people get wrong about me. The people that misunderstand me or my intentions aren’t important. They don’t know me so why be concerned with what they might get wrong about me. It’s judgement and speculation. My friends, my family, the people I love and care about  matter. I’m very open with them so there isn’t much to get wrong. 

Q: You describe yourself as a creative. What classifies a creative? 

J: No specific classification. If you feel like a creative, you are one! It’s very simple. There are certain attributes and interests that people associate with creatives but it’s by no means binary. You can crunch numbers on excel from 9-5 and then go home and start painting. Is the Wall Street business person who likes to paint not creative because they work on Wall Street? No. It’s a mindset. I associate creativity with originality. Turning something ordinary into something extraordinary and even vice versa. Bringing yourself to any form of expression whether artistic or not, that’s creative. Everyone’s got a dish to bring to the table. Spaghetti with tomato sauce is just as “creative” as beef Wellington.

Q:  As a creative how have you found difficulties conforming to society standards? If you have, why do you think that is the case?

J: There’s a lot of judgement that comes with putting yourself out there. People don’t know how to handle it a lot of the time. If you’re a part of this greater society you know what is seen as favorable behavior and what is not, what's a good look and a bad look, what will be received well and what won’t. These are for the most part imaginary restraints that hold everyone back at least to a certain extent. I think part of being a creative is ignoring these restraints and expressing yourself however you want. It can be daunting and scary but after some time it turns into an exciting game. You start to take joy in challenging yourself with feelings of discomfort and view the weird looks and comments as motivation to keep pushing the boundaries. You can feel sexy as a guy and show it off for everyone to see, you can paint your nails and wear jewelry, you can say this and you can say that. As long as you're not hurting others in the process, nothing is off limits. Realizing that societal repercussions are more in your head than anywhere else is incredibly liberating. It’s a process of experimenting with different things but more so a process of allowing yourself to experiment in the first place. Take it slow, challenge yourself and your comfort levels. You’ll soon realize the only person really judging you is you! Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. 

Q: If I am casting director and I am choosing between you and someone else, why should I choose you for the role? 

J: This is a very interesting question that is often asked in job interviews but never at an audition. I’d like to think I have good intuition. That is one thing I believe separates me from most. Not to say that others don’t have good intuition, but intuition varies and can be applied to different things. I have always felt that I can read people very well and have a strong understanding of why people do and say certain things. This has helped me to get into the mind of a character and develop them more fully. Aside from this, I’m incredibly committed to the craft and would be willing to do nearly anything to move the story along or further develop the character. Try me. 

Q: What are your views on what is going in America right now? 

J: Get Trump the fuck out of office. That is all I have to say on the matter.

Q: What do you think our generation should do in order to prepare itself for a better future?

J: Learn to love ourselves and then work on loving one another. We need to teach empathy and spread it far and wide. Some people are born with emotional intelligence many are not. Emotional intelligence can be taught and developed and it most certainly should. A child should learn how to “put themselves in other people's shoes” before they learn how to write in cursive. We’re not teaching the youth interpersonal skills, we’re teaching them to be judgemental and hateful. The older generations are a lost cause. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks, unfortunately. Don’t waste your time trying to convince grandpa Joe that members of the LGBTQ+ community are people too. Teach little Johnny with the fresh impressionable mind about love and acceptance for all. 

Q:  What are your biggest concerns about where the future of this country is heading? 

J: If the hate and divisiveness continue to flourish, chaos will reign and order will seize to exist. Not that order exists now, but I’m talking civil war/revolution type chaos, not blue vs red. 

Q: What is your definition of happiness? 

J: Loving yourself and spreading that love to everything and everyone you come in contact with. We all just want to be loved. Making people feel genuinely loved is one of the most fulfilling things in this world. 

Q:  What is success to you?

J: Happiness.

Q: Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?

J: Sustainably happy.

IG: @silly_jake

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