Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman – UnREAL

By starrymag | June 20, 2016

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

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

 

A) I’m currently filming the final episode of Season Two of “UnREAL” up in Vancouver. After wrapping this week, I’ll be heading back home to the states to work with the Bramon-Garcia Braun Studio on the Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Identifying Actors of Color, which we’ve just announced.

 

Q) We’re now seeing you on “UnREAL.” How was your character Jay originally described to you?

 

A) When I read the original script for “UnREAL” and shot the first pilot in 2013, Jay was described as a “charming, manipulative womanizer.” That is how I played him and had so much fun with it! Once the show was picked up to series, I got a call from Marti Noxon (co-creator of “UnREAL”) letting me know that the writers wanted to change Jay to reflect more of who I am as Jeffrey, one of the major changes being that he would now be written as an openly gay man.

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series?

 

A) My immediate interest in the show came from being a huge fan of Marti Noxon since I was a teenager and she was a writer and Executive Producer on “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” Once I was sent the script along with the short film Sequin Raze, which was written and directed by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (co-creator of “UnREAL”) and which UnREAL was based on, I loved it so much I knew I absolutely had to be a part of this project!

 

Q) What did you find challenging about your role?

 

A) In the original pilot I was very much playing a character, but once the show was picked up and I was told that Jay was going to be more based on me, I thought it was going to be a breeze. Once we received scripts for the first season and I was seeing all of these horribly manipulative things that Jay was doing willingly, it took me a minute to wrap my head around it all and find a flow with him. I had to compartmentalize and incorporate the parts of me as Jeffrey that were reflected in Jay’s character, while finding new ways to empathize with him for making questionable moral choices that I in my personal life would never make. I think this season I’ve been able to meld the two worlds together quite seamlessly and walk in Jay’s skin with ease.

 

Q) We’ve seen Rachel take the reins more this season. What does Jay think of her being the new boss?

 

A) Jay immediately calls bullshit on both Rachel’s (Shiri Appleby) apparent “promotion” and her alliance with Quinn (Constance Zimmer). He sees it as a very unstable, unsustainable situation and knows them both well enough to see very clearly that neither the promotion or alliance will last very long.

 

Q) Rachel seems to be Madison’s new mentor. Why doesn’t Jay approve?

 

A) I don’t think it’s that Jay doesn’t approve of Rachel mentoring Madison (Genevieve Buechner), it’s simply the way that she goes about it that disturbs him. Feeding into Madison’s ear Chantel’s (Meagan Tandy) deepest insecurities and taking her down so viciously doesn’t sit well with Jay for obvious reasons. He has a way with his contestants that is far more graceful and less damaging in the long run. I think seeing Rachel mold Madison into a mini-monster version of herself rubs Jay the wrong way, but at the same time isn’t that surprising…this is the way of the world of “Everlasting,” after all.
Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from filming?

A) My most memorable moments of filming all take place in the Control Room where Jay, Quinn and Rachel watch all the chaos they’ve stirred up with the contestants up on the monitors. It’s like playing puppet master with the walkie talkie getting that oh so coveted juicy footage of the girls. We spend so much time improving in those scenes as we comment on what’s happening on the screens in front of us. Sometimes it can get pretty vicious, but for the most part we just try not to ruin a take from breaking into laughter. Constance Zimmer as Quinn is absolutely hilarious!!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you received during the episodes?

 

A) I love live-tweeting during the episodes! It’s so crazy to see what the fans pick up on, what resonates with them and how it all makes them feel. We have some very opinionated viewers and they make it all so much more interesting to watch.

 

Q) What do you want fans to be sure they know about Jay?

 

A) As much as he may be guilty of manipulating a contestant here and there, his intentions are truly always from the heart. And at the end of the day, he wants to have a hand in producing important, impactful television that will change minds across the country and give a voice to those who often go unheard. Unfortunately, sometimes that means he has to go about it in a way that leaves the weak behind, but at his core I think we can all agree he really is a good guy.

 

Q) What do you think it is about “UnREAL” that has made it such a fan favorite program?

 

A) I think it’s the writers’ ability to capture a world so authentically and tell that story in a way that is so biting and unapologetic. You don’t always have to like these people, but for the most part you can always see where they’re coming from, what’s motivating them and relate to potentially making similar choices if you were ever in that situation. Enjoy the pure darkness of “Everlasting,” but not judge that it is so juicy.