Two minutes into the conversation with talented young actor Jesse Bradford and you can tell that he’s different. For a guy with his resume, his looks, and of his age, he should have a really bad attitude. Or maybe a nasty substance abuse problem. Hell, he should be knee deep in trouble with the law and on the verge of blowing a promising career all in the name of a good party.
Instead, I find I’m talking to someone who couldn’t have his head on any straighter. Somehow he has managed to bypass the young Hollywood actor cliché and learned how to have a good time without doing any time. Unlike a lot of his peers, Bradford seems genuinely excited to be an actor and to work with other actors and directors that he admires. Maybe it’s because he grew up in a quiet town in Connecticut, where he still retreats to during his increasingly infrequent downtimes, where one is shielded from the sometimes harsh realities of the world until achieving such an age when life’s complexities can be put in their proper perspective. Maybe it’s due to his current living situation at Columbia University, where he is successfully balancing an Ivy League education with a skyrocketing career. Then again, maybe it’s because he doesn’t seem to buy into the theory that a few stints at rehab and an arrest record are mandatory rites of passage for talented twentysomethings in his business.
To say that Bradford got his acting career off to a good start is quite an understatement. Co-starring as Robert DeNiro’s son in "Falling in Love" at the ripe old age of five, Bradford’s only regret is that the memory is somewhat fuzzy. More recently he has co-starred in the critically acclaimed "Romeo and Juliet" opposite some guy named Leo, the indie cult flick "Hackers," Steven Soderbergh’s "King of the Hill," and the recent release "A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries."
LP: What are some of the projects we will see you in soon?
JB: I just finished an independent film called "Speedway Junky," which Gus Van Sant executive produced, that will star Darryl Hannah, Tiffany Amber Thiessen, and rapper Warren G. This fall I have a cameo in "Cherry Falls," a horror film with "Clueless’" Brittany Murphy. My role is similar to Drew Barrymore’s in "Scream." And in the spring of 2000 I’m in "Cherry Falls" with Kirsten Dunst. (I think they meant "Bring It On" here!)
LP: What have your experiences been like on the sets of some of your films?
JB: "Romeo and Juliet" was crazy fun, we filmed for 15 weeks in Mexico City and we were just a bunch of kids having a blast making this movie that we knew would rule. "Hackers" was filmed in New York and London, where I was pretty sure I wanted to move while the film was being shot. I really loved it there. I also loved working with James Ivory, who directed "A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries." I find his films to be very poignant. And Leelee Sobieski (his co-star, recently in "Eyes Wide Shut") was mad chill.
LP: Ever have any embarrassing moments?
JB: No, not really, thank god. I have had situations where I haven’t gotten a line right, and we’re doing it over and over and you look like a jerk. But nothing too traumatic.
LP: You’ve worked with a bunch of really talented actors. Who are some other actors you would love to work with?
JB: John Goodman. I think he’s a really cool actor. I also love Kevin Spacey and John Malkovich. As far as actresses, I would love to work with Annette Bening. I just saw "American Beauty" and I though she was amazing in that.
LP: Now that you’re at Columbia, where do you go out in New York?
JB: I really don’t go out to nightclubs that much, but I do frequent Veruka. I think its got a great atmosphere and its a lot of fun. Last weekend I went to S.O.B.’s on Samba night and it was off the hook: live drum and bass and a lot of dancing. Up at Columbia I usually go to local bars, places like Ten Twenty.
LP: Where will you be on December 31, 1999, at midnight?
JB: Good question. I’m still not sure. I’m trying to get out of New York City because I’m kind of scared, you know, in case Armageddon comes. I’ve been thinking about Amsterdam or Jamaica. They would probably be pretty crazy. But I’ll probably end up at my friend Noel Ashman’s New Year’s Party.
LP: Which Friends character would you most like to sleep with?
JB: Oh god, I’m torn. Either Jennifer Aniston or the dark haired one...Courtney Cox. Can it be a threesome? I guess if I had my druthers, that would be it.
LP: If you had to drown in a liquid, what kind of liquid would it be?
JB: Beer. (laughs) No...that would hurt your eyes. I would have to give a boring answer and say 72-degree fresh water. If I’m gonna drown I want to be comfortable.
