An Interview with Jeremy Ray Valdez (Jason Blaine, The Rookie)

As technology continues to revolutionize the way television fans view their favorite shows, new and exciting avenues such as mini-episodes on our cell phones (mobisodes) and web-created episodes (webisodes) are vastly becoming the best way for fans to enhance their viewing experience. This season, fans of 24 can have a chance to get to know a Jason Blaine, a Jack Bauer-in-training character, with a set of webisodes called The Rookie. Jeremy Ray Valdez stars in the leading role and recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with this incredibly sweet, up-and-coming actor. As an actor by day and musician by night, Jeremy has his hands full, but he's never too busy for his French Bulldog, Nadine, who accompanies him everywhere, including the set of The Rookie!

Q: When did you get bit by the acting bug?

Jeremy: "I started taking acting classes and workshops when I was in college. Ever since I was a little kid, it was something I always wanted to do. I wanted to be an actor since I was a kid, but I didn't start classes until college."

Q: I understand you're in a country rock band, how is the band doing?

Jeremy: "I play guitar for Austin Hanks. It's doing very well, we were just on tour this summer with Lynyrd Skynyrd. We did a tour with them, which was really cool and we're currently in the studio working on a new record. The record that's out right now is called Salt of the Earth. I've always been involved in performing arts, whether it's acting or music and types of things like that. I started going to a performing arts school when I was third grade. I've been playing guitar for a long time. I'm getting ready to go play guitar for a girl named Beverly Mitchell, from 7th Heaven. She has a country record that's out and I'm going to go on tour and play guitar for her. "

Q: If you had to choose between acting and music, which would be your first choice?

Jeremy: "That's tough, I get asked this almost everyday. Right now, acting puts food on the table, pays the bills and pays for my house. That has to be my focus. The thing about being an actor as opposed to being a guitar player is the acting is all about me. It's my main focus. When I'm playing guitar, I'm not the main singer, I'm in the background, playing guitar for somebody. As much as I love music and as much as I love acting, the fact is the acting is all on me."

Q: You've had an impressive amount of guest starring roles, which show was your favorite?

Jeremy: "I think 24 was....and ER. I did a lot more work on ER. They're two of my favorite shows."

Q: Tell us about The Rookie.

Jeremy: "The Rookie is a series of webisodes. The people from Degree are the Unilever Corporation, who make Degree (deodorant), decided they wanted to be in cahoots with Fox and create this webisode series about a rookie Jack Bauer-type character. So, instead of a big network paying for this the way it usually would happen, a private corporation paid for it. They're releasing these webisodes and a behind-the-scenes movie in 24 fashion on the net. It's basically about the adventures of Jason Blaine, who is a rookie CTU agent and very eager to prove himself. He's thrown into some weird situations, but he's happy to do it because he is getting into the meat of it, getting to do what he wants to do."

Q: Will your character ever have off-screen dealings with Jack Bauer?

Jeremy: "This is up to the producers and Kevin Townsend, the executive producer and Fox to see where it goes from here. Right now, I think they're gauging the response, which so far I think has been overwhelmingly positive."

Q: And you film right on the set of CTU?

Jeremy: "Yes. You see a lot more of that in episode two."

Q: How long will the webisodes continue?

Jeremy: "I don't know. That is up to the producers and Fox. My dream would be for this to be a spin-off of 24 on Fox."

Q: I hear you have a companion with you at all times, does Nadine accompany you to the set?

Jeremy: "Yes, I have a French Bulldog named Nadine. She comes to the set with me and hangs out in my trailer when I'm working. Everybody loves her. She's the bomb, I love her to death! She runs my life, literally runs my life. My girlfriend and I live together and we bought her together about two years ago and we think she's the coolest thing that ever walked!"

Q: What are your plans for the future?

Jeremy: "Just keep working, keep acting. Hopefully The Rookie is going to turn into something bigger and better. It's Hollywood, I'm reading scripts everyday and auditioning for films and shows. It's a never ending process."

Check out Jeremy's MySpace Page