IN CONVERSATION WITH JONATHAN BENNETT
interview by JANA LETONJA
Actor Jonathan Bennett may be best known from his role on the hit film ‘Mean Girls’. When he is not hosting Food Network’s top-rated ‘Halloween Wars’, which premiered its new season on 22nd September, he continues to add to his Hallmark credits, where he’ll star in the ‘Groomsmen’ trilogy this October, the Holiday sequel to the GLAAD Media Award-nominated ‘Christmas on Cherry Lane’. Next up, he will also be serving as creator and host of their first-ever unscripted competition series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’, which will premiere on 31st October.
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jeans TAIBO BACAR
shoes STEVE MADDEN
Jonathan, fans best know you from your iconic role of Aaron Samuels in ‘Mean Girls’. How has this role changed your life and set the trajectory of your career?
Well, I think it gave me a career. Period. What do you do when your first movie is ‘Mean Girls’ and you play the object of affection to the plastics? You basically are Aaron Samuels forever.
You’ve achieved your dream of performing on Broadway in ‘Spamalot’. How has it been being part of such an iconic production, and what does performing on Broadway mean to you?
Before I was a movie actor, or a TV host, or a TV actor, I was a musical theater kid. Musical theater is what made me want to become a performer in the first place. It’s in my blood, it’s part of my DNA, it is the most influential thing in my entire life and I got to do it on Broadway. To quote my favorite musical Wicked: “I have been changed for good”.
Having transitioned from film and television to Broadway, what creative fulfilment do both of these mediums present to you?
They are just two different animals. Shooting a Hallmark movie is 3 weeks of 14-hour days with 13 pages of new dialogue to memorize each day, so you’re exercising your short-term memory muscle to digest, perform, forget. Where on Broadway, you’re working 6 days a week, but only for about 4-hours a day give or take, however, those 4-hours exert more energy than full 14-hour days shooting a movie. It’s just condensed, and you’re trying to make the same dialogue new and fresh every night so it’s a different muscle.
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You’re currently hosting the new season ‘Halloween Wars’ on Food Network. As the host, what has been your favorite part about being involved in the show, and what can fans expect from this season?
The fans. ‘Halloween Wars’ would be nothing without the support of the fans and I am beyond grateful for their loyalty to me and what I bring to that show. I’m not a cook, I’ve never made a cake in my life, and I’ve barely carved a pumpkin. But, I know how to entertain people and bring joy to their living rooms by creating a show that makes people of all ages, especially kids, laugh and forget their troubles for an hour. That’s my job, I’m an entertainer.
With the release of ‘The Groomsmen’ trilogy this October, what can you tell us about the upcoming “Groomsmen” trilogy and your role in these films?
Getting to write, produce, and star in ‘The Groomsmen’ has been one of the best honors of my career. Because of four men, Tyler Hynes, BJ Britt, Ryan Murphy, and Ron Oliver. This creative group of comedic and romance geniuses came together in such a surprising special way that it absolutely electrified the screen. The relationship between the three best friends The Groomsmen, is so special and thrilling to watch on screen. You really feel like you’re hanging out with the guys.
What drew you to Hallmark’s storytelling, and how has your journey with the network evolved over time?
Hallmark is a fantastic place to tell stories because of the reach to the audience you have with their Hallmark Cinematic Universe Avengers type story telling. It’s like the old studio system of bringing of film. You have a group of actors that get to play around and get switched out between movies every year so you create a family environment between the talent and the executives. I think the executives like Lisa Hamilton and Samantha Dipippo are bravely leading the network into the future, and Hallmark is a network that is here to not only stay, but to grow and evolve and lead entertainment into the next decade with stories that matter.
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You’ve been recognized for your work in increasing LGBTQ storylines in film and television, receiving the Equality Visibility Award. What does this recognition mean to you, and how do you hope to continue advocating for greater LGBTQ representation in entertainment?
Representation matters, period. I am proud to have acted in the first same sex love story in a ‘The Christmas House’, aHallmark Christmas movie that involved the first same sex kiss in a Christmas movie in the history. We were honored by having my wardrobe and script from that scene entered into the Smithsonian LGBTQ Archives as part of history. I was also proud to have wrote, produced, and starred in the first same sex lead Christmas rom-com for Hallmark, ‘The Holiday Sitter’. And to be the producer, writer, and star of ‘The Groomsmen’ trilogy that features the first same sex wedding on Hallmark Channel is absolutely magical. After I saw the reaction from the world, especially the LGBTQ community with ‘The Christmas House’, I knew what my purpose was on this earth. It was to tell stories that involve queer storytelling to a broad audience. It’s the thing I’m most proud of.
With so many roles - actor, host, and executive producer - how do you manage to balance your creative endeavors, and what do you find most fulfilling in your multi-faceted career?
I would be lying if I said something like, “Just get plenty of sleep and stay hydrated, and meditate and do yoga to keep sane”. That’s not the case. I barely sleep, I barely eat, I haven’t been to the gym in months, and I haven’t had a full night sleep in almost a year. Because if you want to pursue your dreams and build the empire, then you have to become obsessed with it. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Until then, I’ve got stories to tell.
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You’re the creator and host of Hallmark’s first-ever unscripted competition series ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’. What inspired you to take on this project, and how do you see reality TV evolving in terms of inclusivity and representation?
I think you can see from my track record on the network that I have a habit of “firsts” in programming. ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’ is the first unscripted reality competition series and it is the most brilliant TV show that I have ever seen come out of Hallmark, ever. Not because it’s better than the other shows, but because when you watch it, you say “This is Hallmark?” That was my goal, to create a show that makes the audience double check the network they are watching. I want to help pioneer new programming that brings people together in a reality space that the whole family can watch. This is a reality show with heart. And to watch these amazing men who are beautiful inside and out, show up to a show and be courageous enough to be vulnerable and share their stories and their lives with the world, is absolutely outstanding and exactly what Hallmark is about.
Besides all the exciting projects you have coming up, what can you share with us about what is coming up next for you?
I plan on doing more and more until I don’t sleep for days and run myself down to the bone. Then I’ll wake up and do it all over again. This is the life I love, and I won’t stop creating and doing what I’m doing.
TEAM CREDITS
talent JONATHAN BENNETT
photographer ASHLEY CHAPPELL
stylists ZOE GOFMAN & CASSIDY MAMULA
groomer JOHNNY HERNANDEZ for BALMAIN HAIR COUTURE
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
