Jacob Young – Killer Vacation

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I just finished a Hallmark film called A Christmas Made to Order, which comes out December 23^rd. I was in a film called Granny’s Home and previous to that I finished a film that is called Angel. I did that film with Ricky Garcia, who is a Disney star and a musician. So, it was a lot of fun doing that. I did a film that should be out very early next year called A Wedding to Die For. I think it is going to end up on Lifetime. I did that with Christa B. Allen. She plays my wife and we had a really good time shooting that.

Q) Please tell us the premise for the movie Killer Vacation.

A) My character Chase has married into a very wealthy family and he is like the VP or President of the company. He’s only there because of his wife and her father, who owns the company. He is a bit of a player. At least, you don’t know that in the very beginning. My wife though is miserable and constantly threatening to leave me. I don’t want to work there anymore. I’m completely unsatisfied with my personal life and my professional life. He is looking to get away.

Q) What did you find challenging about your role?

A) The hardest thing with these Lifetime formats is that a lot of times there are script changes right up until the very end or even the day before you are shooting. We’re shooting it in fifteen days and we’re really under the gun. Because I’ve been on daytime for so many years, I’m used to shooting sixty pages a day and on a film you’re shooting about seven. So, my chops from that definitely helped to alleviate any troublesome parts that might be because the script needed to be changed or needing to change on a dime. So, that’s probably the most difficult aspect of shooting a film so quickly.

Q) How does the setting play a role in the film?

A) Originally the movie was called Deadly Desert Vacation. That was the original title before Lifetime changed it, which makes total sense because we shot it in Albuquerque, New Mexico. So, it’s definitely the desert every where you look. He’s on his way to a convention and he wants his mistress to come with him. He takes her to the desert because resorts are beautiful out there and she’s going to have a great time. It was a lot of fun to shoot in Albuquerque. Netflix is moving their studios out there so there is so much work being done out there. We had a good team to work with.

Q) How were you able to shake off such a dark character at the end of the day?

A) I’m used to it. [laughs] I’ve been cast a lot as bad guys. I have played several. You delve into it, but at the same time you have to just take everything with a grain of salt. You don’t take your work home. I leave it right there at the scene or at the door, so to speak. I played this role before, so it wasn’t like I had to do so much research. Even though I do – I put a list together of background, what this guy is about – the who, what, where and why. But it basically all pointed to other characters I’ve played in the past. So, it wasn’t too difficult. It was a lot fun.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from shooting the movie?

A) Shooting in Old Town was really great. It really puts you into the New Mexico culture, that pueblo style of architecture. It was also working with a lot of the local actors there, which is really great. When you’re doing a film on location of course there is going to be local hires and I always have a ton of questions. So, it was just meeting everybody that worked on the film – the crew, the other actors…That was probably the most memorable for me.

Q) What do you think it is about Killer Vacation that will make it a fast Lifetime film favorite?

A) I think, first of all, it’s Alexa [Havins] and I. I think you could have put two other actors in there that might not have had the same background as us, but we were fan favorites on “All My Children” for many years. With “All My Children” off the air we’re kind of fulfilling that AMC fantasy for those fans that miss the show so dearly. I think that’s why this one is going to become a fan favorite and there might even be another one with us in the near future…

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll receive to the movie?

A) Yeah, I am! I love my fans because my fans have followed me for so many years. They have been there for twenty-one years. These fans are unlike any other fans. They really stick with you wherever you go, and they really do embrace everything that you do. I’m excited to see what they have to say about it. I’m excited to see it myself. I remember doing ADR on it and seeing it briefly and I was like, “Wow! It really looks great.” So, I’m excited to see what they have to say about it.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and the work you do?

A) Thank you so much for the constant serge of support and just being there. Thank you so much for following me through other mediums. I’m always looking forward to seeing their reaction and their feedback.