05.30.01- I spoke with the producer of Night Visions, so here are a few tidbits I found out:

• Jonathan's episode is entitled If A Tree Falls...
• He co-stars with Natasha Lyonne.
• The premise is roughly: Three coeds go for a drive, with horrific results. The outcome of a deadly pact between the friends will determine their fate. Jonathan plays a Christian who struggles with the meaning of it all.
• Still no word on when Jonathan's episode will air. Also, the information about 4 episodes airing on July 12th is not yet confirmed.

05.29.01- HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY, RICHARD!!!

05.29.01- The 2-hour Night Visions special on July 12th will be airing 4 episodes. Stay tuned to see if one of those episodes will be Jonathan's.

05.29.01- Here are a few pictures from the most recent newsletter:

Jon & Rich with Delirious?	The True Rights gang skiing in Utah	A pic from Night Visions
Jon & Friends at the Tonight Show with Jay Leno	Jonathan at Bush's inauguration	Scarlet River playing at Western Christian School with new bass player, Amber

05.25.01- "Where are they now..."

Soap Opera Digest
May 29, 2001 issue

Jonathan Jackson
(ex-Lucky, General Hospital)

If you hear reports about Jonathan Jackson showing up on the GH set, don't jump to the conclusion that he's coming back. He may just be getting a haircut...

"I probably go to GH about every three months or so to see everyone," smiles the three-time Daytime Emmy winner, "and sometimes, I get my hair trimmed, too. I love the hairdresser, Kim, and everyone else there. I love going back."

While Jackson admits that he misses working with such former castmates as on-screen parents Anthony Geary (Luke) and Genie Francis (Laura), he remains secure in his decision to leave the soap in 1999. "When I go back to visit, I don't look at it like, 'I wish I was here,' but I do have such an affection for everybody there," he notes. "I would have come back here and there if they hadn't recast, but never as a full-time thing because I always wanted to do films. I love playing different characters and having different stories to tell."

And he's had plenty of chances to do both. After the success of 1999's The Deep End of the Ocean, Jackson went on to film On the Edge (formerly titled Smiling Suicide Club) in Ireland, and even tried his hand at filmmaking, directing (along with brother Richard lee) a short drama entitled Crystal Clear, which features Maurice Benard (Sonny) and Tava Smiley (Chloe). "I just asked if they wanted to do it," he explains of the film, which garnered awards at the Brooklyn Film Festival. "I knew Maurice loved doing film work, and Tava, I thought, would be perfect for it, and she was. I was a great experience."

These days, Jackson is gaining great experience around several Oscar Winners. He's landed roles in a Disney film called Tuck Everlasting with Sissy Spacek and William Hurt, as well as Insomnia, a thriller starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. "I'm so grateful that I've been able to do these [films]," he enthuses. "They're both awesome projects that I think I'm going to be very proud of." As for working with the renowned Pacino, Jackson says, "I really wasn't nervous. He was a cool person -- very kind and gentle."

On his precious days off (oh, and did we mention he plans to release a new CD with band Scarlet Road later this year?), Jackson spends time catching up with family and friends. "I keep in touch with Tony as much as possible," he shares. "And I see Real Andrews and Lisa Vultaggio quite a bit [in a prayer group the actors participate in]. Tyler also comes to the Bible study, and I play basketball with him. It's been cool to keep in touch with so many people."

All in all, Jackson's been - dare we say it? - pretty lucky. "I'm very grateful for everything that's happened to me," he relates. "I really feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be right now."

05.25.01- "Would Jackson Have Played An Evil Lucky?"

ABC Soaps In Depth
May 29, 2001 issue

In his next two films, Jonathan Jackson plays a bad guy, then a very good guy. But would he have embraced the brooding version of Lucky that's currently stalking General Hospital's Port Charles?

The In Depth Story: After nabbing a role as a suspect in the murder mystery Insomnia (starring Oscar winners Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hillary Swank), Emmy winner Jackson landed the lead in Disney's Tuck Everlasting, which co-stars Sissy Spacek and Treat Williams (as his on-screen folks) [Webmaster's correction: Treat Williams is not in Tuck Everlasting. William Hurt plays Jonathan's character's father. tsk, tsk SID], Ben Kingsley, and Alexis Bledel as a love interest.

"It's an amazing group to be thrown in with, so I'm looking forward to it," says Jackson, nothing the two films' impressive cast lists. "I'm always 'soaking up' from people that I work with; I can't NOT do that. That was one of the reasons I loved GH so much -- working with Tony and Genie."

Speaking of GH, Jackson (who plays a possible serial killer in the as-yet-unreleased Skeletons in the Closet) has definite thoughts about the latest, volatile version of Lucky.

"If I hadn't left, I don't think they would have gone in that direction," he suggests. "At least, I hope not. But if that is what they would have done, I'm sure I would have had fun with that."

05.25.01- Some tidbits from the latest updates from JacksonBrothersNews:

• Jonathan celebrated his 19th birthday with his family, and the cast and crew of Insomnia.
• With traveling SO much, filming in 40 degree weather barefoot, and working early mornings or sometimes through the night, Jonathan has remained as healthy as a horse! :)
• The release of This I Know, Scarlet River's new CD, has been delayed since Jonathan and Richard have not had the time to get together to do the CD's artwork.
• Richard's landed the lead role in the new independent movie, "Scavenger Hunt." Congrats, Richard!
• Look for an article on Jonathan in an upcoming issue of Teen People!

05.25.01- A mention of On The Edge from the LA Times' summer preview (thanks, Gigi!):

ON THE EDGE Drama Universal Focus With: Cillian Murphy, Tricia Veessey, Jonathan Jackson, Stephen Rea. The idea: Self-destructive teenager finds direction during stay in psychiatric hospital. Writers: John Carney, Daniel James. Director: John Carney. So? Commendable exploration of suicidal teens.

05.25.01- The week that the trailer for Skeletons in the Closet premiered on IMDB, it was listed #10 on IMDB's Top 10 Trailers! Wow...way cool!!

05.25.01- Big updates on the Tuck Everlasting page.

05.24.01- Check out slightly updated pages:

• Insomnia
• Skeletons in the Closet
• Links

05.23.01- Night Visions will debut on FOX July 12th!! It will be airing as a two-hour special that night. I don't think it's the episode that Jonathan will be appearing in though. But stay tuned for that official air date as well. Mucho thanks for Jessica for this info!! July seems like it's going to be a good month for us Jonathan fans. :)

05.20.01- Sorry for the delay in updates. Things have been beyond busy lately with graduations and end of the semester projects, as well as work. Expect a bunch of updates this week!

05.13.01- HUGE NEWS! Skeletons in the Closet is going to be released on video and DVD on July 24th!!! Read all about it, see the poster, the trailer, and screenshots on my Skeletons in the Closet page! WOOHOO!!

05.13.01- On The Edge was mentioned in the New York Times Summer Line-Up in August. (Thanks, Gigi!)

05.13.01- The Insomnia page was updated.

05.11.01- HAPPY, HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY, JONATHAN!!!!     [Today In History]

05.11.01- According to this press release from FOX, Night Visions will be airing this summer!! WOOHOO!

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/bpihw/20010509/en/strike_averted_fox_breaks_it_off_with_fling__1.html

Now that the writers strike threat has passed, Fox and other networks are sorting out what to do with the programs that have been stockpiled during the past few months. Sources said Fox plans to run two shows that it held over from last season as strike-proof options -- the comedy "The Tick" and the drama anthology "Night Visions" -- during the summer.

05.11.01- Be sure to check out the updated Tuck Everlasting and Insomnia pages! Photos, and new semi-juicy articles! :)

05.11.01- LOTS of news about On The Edge, the movie Jonathan shot in Ireland!

• http://www.allirelandmusic.com/Indie/Interviews/thewallsmarch.htm

  Three of your songs are going to be used in the new Universal movie "On the Edge" produced by Jim Sheridan. How did this come about?

  The director John Carney is a fan of The Walls and directed a video for one of our early singles - "Broken Boy". We managed to make it for about £200. It's not worth spending money on a video for Ireland alone as there's hardly any programmes to show it on.

• http://www.booksirish.com/features/news/handbooks.asp

  Feature films to look out for include Temple Films' Disco Pigs, adapted for the screen by Enda Walsh, with Cillian Murphy from the original theatre production and Elaine Cassidy (Felicia's Journey) in the leading roles as Pig and Runt. This is already on the international film festival circuit and will open in Irish cinemas after a launch at the Cork Film Festival in October. Universal Pictures' On The Edge, directed and with music by John Carney and produced by Jim Sheridan and Arthur Lappin's company, Hell's Kitchen, should also receive a release later in the year after it receives its world premiere and does the rounds of the festivals.

• In a local Illinois newspaper, they rated 2001 summer releases as a (1) - can't wait (meaning a so-called "sure" thing); (2) - could be (This movie has possibilities. It's not a sure bet, but it definitely looks intriguing.); (3) - yawn (We've seen this before. We don't need to see it again); or (4) - stay away (Something about this movie looks bad. Very, very bad!)

  ON THE EDGE got a 'Could be'!!! ;)

  (Thanks, Michelle!)

• And last but not least, UpcomingMovies.com posted the following release date for On The Edge: FRIDAY, AUGUST 10TH!!!

05.11.01- Here's a snippet from the article in the current Soaps In Depth article with Jonathan (thanks, Maria!):

"If I hadn't left, I don't think they would have gone in that direction," he suggests. "At least I hope not. But if that is what they would have done, I'm sure I would have had fun with that."

05.05.01- On The Edge will be showing at a film festival in Ireland this July! (Kudos to Sarah for finding this!)

From the Irish Times, 5/4/01:

GALWAY FILM FLEADH:
Galway City July 10th-15th
091-751655
www.galwayfilmfleadh.com

A season of Iranian films with special tribute to Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami who will visit Galway for the fleadh is one of the highlights of this, the 13th Galway Film Fleadh. Other highlights are a Nordic season and new Irish feature films and documentaries including John Carney's On the Edge and Martin Duffy's The Testimony of Taliesan Jones. In the Nordic season, the Fleadh will present films from Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The Irish/Danish/German animated feature, Help I'm a Fish, will get its world première.

05.05.01- More from Lindzi.com:

Prom is just around the corner and I still don't have a date. I have my eye on a couple guys, but I don't know if they'd want to go with me. Most of the guys bring freshman girls. Plus all of my guy friends already have dates so it's not like I have any other options. Any suggestions for snagging a date?

Jonathan Jackson: The sad thing is that the way most guys get attracted to women is not really what I'm looking for. I could give bad advice about how you could attract a jerk. There's obvious things you could do for that. Instead, look for somebody who has some character. Try to relate to them. Nowadays, I don't think there's anything wrong with a girl bringing it up. It's good to establish being comfortable with that other person so you'll actually have a fun night.

Richard Lee Jackson: I would be honest with them. If I was in their shoes, that would be my approach. They could say, "I don't have a date and you look like a nice guy. Would you be interested?" If someone came up to me and was really honest about it, that would be better than trying to beat around the bush.

05.05.01- Updated Insomnia and Tuck Everlasting pages.

05.05.01- Jacob Young talks about being a recast, and stepping into Jonathan's shoes.

http://abc.go.com/daytime/soaps/specials/spicysoaps/spicysoaps_home.html

05.03.01- A new interview with Jonathan and Richard! Many thanks to Gigi for finding this!

http://www.lindzi.com/

Crystal Clearly, A Class Act...
Jonathan & Richard Jackson

Lindzi.com: You guys recently completed a film together. Tell me a little about it.

Richard Lee Jackson: We have been writing together for a few years. Crystal Clear was our first time getting out there behind the camera in a professional way. We had a lot of fun doing it and we love working together; writing, acting, and directing. We balance each other well. We like to get out our creative energy. We got to take that to the Brooklyn Film Festival. It did really well. We also worked together on an independent film, True Rights. It has done really well in the film festival circuit, as well.

Lindzi.com: Very cool. What are some of the other projects you've been working on independently?

Richard Lee Jackson: Madison is a film that premiered at Sundance [Festival] this year and it went over really well. James Caviezel is in it and some other really good actors. That is in the process of trying to get distribution. I'm not sure where, but it's looking good.

Jonathan Jackson: I did a guest spot on a show called Night Visions, which hasn't come out yet. It's an interesting show. They do a half hour and each week is a different plot with different actors. The show leans toward scary, creepy stuff. It's a pretty cool show. It's coming out on Fox. I also got to shoot a film, On The Edge, in Ireland. It was awesome. I'd always wanted to go there. I play a Northern Irish person in the movie. It's a darker subject line because it's about suicide. There's a love triangle in the story. It's a very different film. It's pretty witty.

Lindzi.com: Wow! Did you have to learn an Irish accent for the role?

Jonathan Jackson: I had already been pre-exposed to it from In The Name of the Father and The Boxer, which are two of my favorite movies. I practiced a lot of it on my own and I met with a lady for a couple of days to fine tune it. Most of the other actors were actually Irish. When I came back from filming the movie, I found myself saying words differently. The accent became natural to me. That was pretty weird.

Lindzi.com: You two sure keep busy! You write, direct, act, and-- apparently--sing, as well. Tell me a little about your band.

Jonathan Jackson: When we first started, it was me, Richard, my dad, and my uncle. We've been making records and selling them over the internet for the past 3 or 4 years. We've been approached by record labels a few times in the past, but we're holding off for a lot of different reasons. We recently changed our name to Scarlet River instead of Scarlet Road and it's just going to be Richard and I. We'll use different musicians here and there. We're open for anything so we'll see what happens.

Lindzi.com: You work together so often. Is sibling rivalry ever an issue?

Jonathan Jackson: Not really. It used to be. Up until 5 or 6 years ago, we fought quite a bit. We were competitive with a lot of things. Things really changed around that time. It wasn't like it changed it one day. It was a gradual thing. We started to do things together instead of against each other. We'd make home movies together. Our parents told us, "Pretend like you like each other and say things that are nice even if you don't mean it." What's weird is that is worked. Pretty soon we started to believe what we were saying. We're best friends now.

Lindzi.com: What's the craziest thing you've done together?

Jonathan Jackson: Oh, boy. We do that quite often. A stupid thing that we did 5 or 6 years ago was in Knotts Berry Farm. You know those games where you throw something at the bottles and try and knock them off the table to get a giant stuffed animal like a dog? Well, we spent quite a bit of time throwing at these bottles and we could never get them off. We really wanted a giant dog. The park was closing down and we saw that the back door was open where the stuffed animals were. Richard grabbed a bag of two giant stuffed animals, tossed down a five dollar bill, and started running with a really crazy look on his face. Yeah, that was really dumb. We definitely shouldn't have stolen those animals. We paid for them, but still it was wrong.

Richard Lee Jackson: That dog story's pretty funny to me. Another crazy thing was skiing down a black diamond when we weren't totally good at it yet. Jon zipped down the mountain and crashed pretty hard. That got a little crazy.

Lindzi.com: In honor of our prom issue, did you guys attend your own prom?

Jonathan Jackson: No, I got to go to the Emmy's a few times. It was kind of a trade of. It would have been fun. I did school on the set, depending on where I was working. The people I became friends with were basically the people that I worked with.

Richard Lee Jackson: Not really because I was working in Hollywood. I went to a dance with a friend of mine. I can't remember if it was a prom or not, but I've been to a few dances like that. I've had the general experience. The main thing, in thinking about proms, is that people stay safe and keep their heads on their shoulders. Have a lot of fun, but don't go too crazy. A lot of times those nights can get out of hand and get a little dangerous.

Lindzi.com: Good advice. Speaking of which, it seems as though girls today are under so much pressure to be perfect. Any advice?

Richard Lee Jackson: Stop reading the magazines! I think it's finding the value from something that isn't outward, something that's inside. I'd say be focused more on things of the heart because that affects how you see yourself. I'm not a woman, but I know that I feel better about myself when I'm in touch with God. That would be one way to look in the mirror and find beauty that's not about what everyone expects. I would say don't feel pressure to be perfect. The guys that desire the perfection are the guys you wouldn't want to be with anyway.

Lindzi.com: So true. And Hollywood is almost as catty as high school. Was it difficult growing up in this industry?

Jonathan Jackson: There's certain challenges that it brings that you wouldn't have to deal with otherwise. I started being recognized when I was 11. I think with anything in life you can either focus on the negatives or look at it as a challenge and become stronger from it.

Lindzi.com: Okay, but you must have some pet peeves. What drives you insane?

Jonathan Jackson: There are tons of songs that drive me crazy. Like that Mambo song and Who Let The Dogs Out is ridiculous. Songs like that annoy me. I'm sure there are other ones.

Richard Lee Jackson: When I'm late and I'm driving and it seems like everything's going wrong, those things can drive me insane.

Lindzi.com: And let's not forget about your insane schedule! Will college ever fit into the mix?

Jonathan Jackson: I've been going back and fourth with it and haven't made any final decisions. There are definitely some things I'd like to study and learn. I just don't know if I want to go through four years of college because my career is demanding of my time.

Lindzi.com: Do you have a favorite charity?

Jonathan Jackson: One that we've been involved with the most has been The Ronald McDonald House. We've had a lot of benefit concerts with them in Portland, Oregon. What they do for families is really cool. We've done things for other charities too, but that's the one we've been the most involved with.

Lindzi.com: What's the craziest thing a reporter has asked you?

Richard Lee Jackson: Where I've had sex. {chuckles} I didn't respond.

Lindzi.com: Yikes! What's the dating scene like for you?

Jonathan Jackson: I guess interesting would be the word. The people that I meet aren't from the school environment. I meet people around L.A. and stuff. I'm not all for dating actresses in general so it makes it pretty interesting. I'm not dating anyone right now.

Richard Lee Jackson: Well, I have a girlfriend so I'm pretty content.

Lindzi.com: What do you look for in a girlfriend?

Jonathan Jackson: I look at what her passions are. If God is everything to them, that's the most important thing to me. I've been in relationships where people aren't putting God first and end up being pretty nasty. I believe that the horizontal relationship can work out if the one above is doing alright.

Richard Lee Jackson: It's really about the character of the girl. Like Jon was saying, it's the same thing for me. It's her love for God because that's the foundation that makes something stable. As far as personalities go, I like to have a good time and be able to laugh with them. It's nice when they get along with the people in your life, as well.

The Jackson Brothers are a real class act. So, they missed out on their prom? They're not missing much! With all that they've accomplished, it sounds like we are. They have their morals straight and their eyes on what they want out of life.

Click here to here a soundclip of them talking!

05.03.01- The Tuck Everlasting page was updated!

05.03.01- Rebecca Herbst Online says the following (thanks, Donna!):

Are you a JJ/RH Fan? The RHOFC has uncovered 16 copies of "Outtakes II." The New York scenes with Jonathan Jackson are on it. For more information, contact the RHOFC at: RHOFC@yahoo.com

05.03.01- Once again off topic, but I went with my friend to Champions on Ice on Saturday. Here's an article on our experience.

Go to APRIL NEWS >>>

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