Jason Lewis
You should hate the guy, but you'd love to be him.
by Albert O. Kim | photo by Andrew MacPherson
| Print Page | Email to Friend
What about the paparazzi?
I think it's a weird, fucked-up thing to do. Photography's a beautiful art, but hunting and being a vulture isn't. Yeah, we all need money, but we all make conscious decisions about how we go there. I'm not selling small children into the slave market, I'm not dealing drugs and I'm not a paparazzo.
Any crazy fan encounters?
One time a girl came up and said, "Sign my breast." Then another ran up and showed me her ass. And pretty soon it was like a reveal-the-body-parts competition. That's when I had to bail out. I said, "This is not about me, this is about you."
Still, life could be worse.
Hey, I like what I do. I'm getting to do what I want for a career and not everyone gets to say that. Might as well enjoy it.
Web Exclusive Q & A
How did the rumor about you and Jennifer Aniston got started?
I don't know. What's the point of speculating? As far as I can track, the closest I've ever been to her was at the GLAAD [Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation] Awards-we both presented there last year. But I think there were 15,000 people there. I was actually thinking, "That poor girl." I'm single now, so nobody's getting hurt by the fact that I'm "dating" Jennifer Aniston. But the paparazzi are all over her misery. The [rumor about us] is so far from the truth that it's got to be a little bit of a relief for her.
Were you trying to play against type when you took the role of an actor struggling with his sexual identity in Brothers & Sisters?
I was definitely looking for something that's interesting, demanding, and creative. With that character, the writers did a really nice job of addressing the dynamic of being in a space where you have to hide from yourself and hide from the world, and the constant energy and torture and fear associated with that. It wasn't about him being gay so much as it was about how much of a struggle it is to just be yourself.
Did you enjoy modeling?
Very much. And when I was done with it, I got out of it. It was more or less a means to an end. I always dreamed of going to Europe, and the opportunity presented itself to go to Paris and model.
Why switch to acting?
There was a ceiling with how far I could go with modeling, a ceiling with what it was asking of me in life. It was fantastic when I was young-I got to travel around the world and be exposed to different cultures. But there was nothing else growing in me. I love what I do as an actor, exploring story. You're constantly engaged and it's never the same thing.
If you were forced to choose between a life of outdoor activity or of one pursuing creative interests, which would you pick?
I'd have to live in my head, probably more so than my body. I'm 36 years old. When I fall it's not the same as when I was 20. If I keep my stuff together I've got years more out of my head. But I'm not giving up the body anytime soon. I'm looking to snowboard until I'm about 80 or 85. Then I'll start slowing down.
See Also:
MFs Exclusive Behind the Scenes Video
MFs Exclusive Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
[on Facebook, Digg, Reddit and more]
