Jonathan Tucker

Jonathan Tucker comes from an interesting and creative family. His great-grandfather was a historian and ambassador, his aunt and uncle founded the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University, and his father is a professor of art at the University of Massachusetts and a leading expert on Claude Monet. Conversations around the dinner table must have been riveting growing up! Jonathan found his love for the arts from an early age while attending the Boston Ballet, where he played Fritz in their production of The Nutcracker for 5 years. Tucker would later realize that his true passion lay within acting, where in the early 1990’s he began appearing in films including; Botte di Natale (1994), Two If by Sea (1996), and Sleepers (1996), before being cast in the 1999 film The Virgin Suicides as Tim Weiner. From there, the rest is history as they say, with Tucker collaborating with Oscar winner Paul Haggis on the films The Next Three Days, and In the Valley of Elah. He also headlined his first foray into television in the critically acclaimed Black Donnellys. Tucker currently stars on DirecTV’s drama series Kingdom (May 31st Series Premiere). But it doesn’t stop there; his next transition will be into the Starz adaptation of the acclaimed contemporary fantasy novel American Gods (April 30'th Premiere)Q&A:RAINE: Most challenging role to date?TUCKER: Often, the most challenging roles are the smallest in respect to material because there's less screen time to share the character I've built and therefore more room to fail. "Boone," for instance, on "Justified" is a good example of an opportunity that made such a demand.RAINE: What do you like most about being on the series Kingdom and your character Jay Kulina?TUCKER: From the language to the blocking within a scene, "Kingdom" doesn't just hand-over the responsibility of the characters to the actors who play them, it also offers an unrestricted world in which to play. That allows us to leap from the highest cliffs, without warning or safety precautions.RAINE: How would you say you are most like your character?TUCKER: Jay and I share a trenchant sense of fidelity and loyalty. We will drag our skin over a tarmac for those we love.RAINE: What can viewers expect from American Gods in 2017?TUCKER: A brilliant bender with Bryan Fuller and one of the most eclectic casts that I've ever been privileged to be apart.RAINE: If you had an opportunity to have another career other than acting, what would it be any why?TUCKER: I'd love to participate in some aspect of US foreign policy.RAINE: What is your daily mantra that helps you most?TUCKER: Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.RAINE: Who has been the one person that has most influenced your career?TUCKER: Everyone's a teacher. Everyone has something to offer.RAINE: Where do you go to get your news?TUCKER: NYT, WSJ, LAT, WAPO. NYRB. The New Yorker. public radio's morning edition and marketplace. +twitterRAINE: What words of wisdom can share with aspiring actors?TUCKER: Read "The Inner Game of Tennis."