DESPITE JUST TURNING 20, IT SEEMS THAT MAXWELL JENKINS HAS LIVED AT LEAST THREE LIFETIMES ALREADY. FROM GROWING UP IN A CIRCUS, STUDYING POLITICS AND BEING ON THE CHEER TEAM AT UCLA TO ACTING OPPOSITE LEGENDS LIKE KEVIN BACON AND NICOLAS CAGE OR PLAYING IN A BAND, THE CHICAGO NATIVE DOESN’T LIKE TO BOX HIMSELF INTO ONE CAREER PATH. IN A BREAK FROM CLASSES, JENKINS CAUGHT UP WITH US TO CHAT ABOUT PERFECTING ACROBATIC TRICKS, HIS NEW SUPERNATURAL SERIES THE BONDSMAN, AND LOOKING FOR ROLES THAT WILL LET HIM GEEK OUT IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS.

Hey Maxwell! I wanted to start with your very unique upbringing, as both of your parents worked in a circus. How has that experience influenced who you are today?

Yeah, it was a pretty exceptional environment to grow up in, not only because we had a circus in our backyard, which I think is any kid’s dream. [Laughs] Every year, when the circus would start ramping up again, there would just be a constant stream of acrobats and performers from all over the world coming through our house, cooking in our kitchen, having a big family dinner once a week, or setting up the tent together. And I learned a lot from them. I really learned how to absorb every moment that you have with them, which I think translated a lot over into what I would end up doing as an actor. It’s the same principle, absorbing as much knowledge, really being a sponge on set. Being a part of a circus also taught me the lesson of consistent perseverance, just non-stop working hard to perfect a few minutes of performance, and if it doesn't go perfectly, adapting, knowing how to fall. Those are skills that are really useful in the circus, really useful in acting, but also in just anything I take on.

Was there an acrobatic trick you were particularly proud of perfecting at that time?

There are definitely a few, I mean, some of them are more recent out here at UCLA, where I’m on the cheering team as a base. Growing up in the circus, I was never the one lifting people up, I was always the one flying. And it can be really painful – it’s all about technique and how you stack your bones. It didn’t come super naturally to me. My act in the circus is called Rolla Bolla, it’s where you take the cylinder and a board, it rolls around, and you stack a bunch of boards on top of that. That came pretty naturally to me – obviously, I had to work on it – but I’ve always had a really good sense of balance. And basing on the cheer team was super difficult: a lot of bruises, a lot of bloody noses, a lot of sore mornings after long days of training. But now, I’m about to go into my third year on the team, and it’s a skill that I can take back to the circus when I go back and perform. I want to take a gap year after college and go perform in a circus somewhere new.

What made you choose UCLA?

When I was picking where I wanted to go to school, I was really lucky because I had some great options. Growing up in Chicago, LA had a reputation of being this artificial place. But I found it to be the complete opposite. I think the people out here are absolutely exceptional. And UCLA is so embedded in the LA community, we’re right here in the heart of the city. As a 1960s history buff, I can’t go anywhere without seeing something important to that time – politically, culturally, artistically. I mean, this city has absolutely everything and more. I don’t ever want to leave LA. It’s really true that once you come to California, you never want to leave.

As an actor, you've already played opposite such industry giants as Kevin Bacon and Nicolas Cage. What have you learned by observing them on set?

Kevin and Nic are such incredible people, obviously, their work speaks for itself. I’ve had a pretty awesome string of TV and movie dads. Toby Stephens was also really exceptional. They’re all extremely different, but what they have in common when you analyse the longevity of their careers, something that remains continuous is their passion for this job. In the film industry, after a certain amount of success, some people just start to phone it in. And that is not how they operate at all. They are extremely collaborative. They want to build the relationships off-camera so that it can come through on screen. They want to build that trust and that togetherness that a cast needs to have, especially on a lot of the intense shows. They put in the work during rehearsals, and they really lead the cast and set the tone in that it's 100% all about the work.

Who are some other actors that you really look up to, but haven’t gotten the chance to meet yet?

That’s a super easy one for me – Ethan Hawke. I really respect his work as an actor, as a writer, as a director. He’s done such incredible things from a young age, from Dead Poet Society to the Richard Linklater films to all the myriad things he’s doing now. As someone who has a lot of interests outside of acting – I have started to get into screenwriting here at UCLA and I’m a global studies major, so I’m interested in international politics, global governance and cultural diplomacy, I’m part of the cheer team, I grew up in a circus, I play in a band – Ethan Hawke is really a prime model of the fact that you don’t have to do just one thing. In fact, you shouldn’t just be an actor.

I agree, all these experiences and interests can enrich your future performances as well. Let’s talk about your latest show, The Bondsman. What did you enjoy the most about starring in the series?

My favourite part was the music element. I mentioned earlier that I’m a musician – I play mandolin and guitar. And The Bondsman was a really welcoming and open environment for me to play music, and to do it alongside some pretty insane musicians, like Jennifer Nettles. Kevin [Bacon] is a phenomenal musician as well. Also, I learned how much the act of working together on songs can add so much to the bonding of the cast.

What realms are you hoping to go next into as an actor?

When I approach a project, I always have to compare it against the other worlds I operate in, and see if this is something that would be worth leaving school for. And consistently, the stuff that seemed a little bit more enticing has been the projects that are a lot more character-driven, more emotionally mature. I love the sci-fi world, and I'm super grateful to the sci-fi community because I've been able to do a lot more sci-fi than the average person my age. But I would love to tell some stories about real-life people. I would love to tell a story about someone's life, why that life was important and why it changed the world, whether we know it or not. Something that would require me to dive in headfirst and conduct an insane amount of research on one specific niche moment in time that I think people will be surprised they relate to.

Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Photography by Shane McCauley

Fashion by Heather Rest

EIC Michael Marson

Hair by Taku Sugawara at WS Schupfer

Skin by Stephanie Smith

All clothes Celine Homme