THE BUCCANEER | CAMPUS FEATURES
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT:
JASON PECK, UPPER SCHOOL DRAMA TEACHER that move people, ask them to look inward, and examine the way they think and act.
Q: Most memorable Hollywood moment?
A: I have so many, but the one that
Q: Tell me about your acting/directing background. When did you first become passionate about film?
A: I have been acting since I was 9 years old. My fondest memories growing up are of my dad taking me to the movie theater on the weekends. No matter how busy he got, he always had time for that. I grew up in Los Angeles and, from a young age, took acting classes that revolved around film/TV scripts. My parents were bent on
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it being a hobby and not wanting to carpool me from audition to audition. Acting classes for young actors were usually filled with working young actors, so I was fortunate to act in classes with the likes of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Fred Savage, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others. I caught the “acting bug,” and a love of film soon became a love of the stage. I love both mediums so much and, in the end, I am drawn to stories
I think I learned the most from was when I was shooting a small role in an episode of the sitcom The King of Queens. One of my scenes was with Kevin James and the late Jerry Stiller. Jerry Stiller, who played George Constanza’s father on Seinfeld, was positively hilarious but had tremendous stage fright. The King of Queens was a three-camera sitcom that was shot in front of a live studio audience. Jerry had the entire audience cleared, and we shot the scene without an audience, and a laugh track was added later. It was an eye-opening experience that showed that even the biggest of stars could still be challenged by the work. It was a great learning experience to remember to be protective of your work, and to not be afraid to ask for something when you feel like a situation might not allow you to be the best you can be. Jerry ended the shoot by saying to me as he left, “Keep it up. You’re funny, kid.”
