Jack Sochet of ‘Smile’ On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

… Always be open to change. In my experience, you can plan as much as you want but you can’t control elements on set outside of yourself.

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jack Sochet.

Jack Sochet can next be seen opposite Sosie Bacon in the Paramount Pictures film Smile which opened number one at the Box office opening weekend. Other upcoming projects include the short Nosferasta: First Bite, which just screened at MOMA and Choke. Sochet is about to begin work on his next project, the feature film American Triage about three different perspective on one event. Past projects include Vicky’s Not Here, for which he won two Best Supporting Actor awards, There is Something Wrong with Paul and The Heyday of The Insensitive Bastards. On the small screen, he has been seen on “Gotham” and “Hunters” to name a few. Born and raised in New York City, Sochet has also done a lot of theatre including The Jewish King Lear (Nominated for Best Ensemble NYITA), Jericho and Numerous productions with Shakespeare In The Parking Lot, performed with EST NY, The Public Theatre, LATC and many others.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in New York City in a Jewish Irish family, and we celebrated every holiday under the sun — sometimes Chanukah and Christmas on the same day.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

My initial dream, when I was young, was to be a professional basketball player, but alas the genes I was given did not suit that profession. I was always acting when I was young in school productions, and when I finally had to quit basketball at 21 I knew this was what I wanted to do.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I was doing a production of the play Dead End in downtown New York, and my father brought his best friend and his wife. They loved the play, because it reflected the time period in which they grew up. Afterward, the wife said, “I think you just performed in my living room.” The theater was located in the former tenement housing where she had grown up.

My second phenomenal memory is seeing the billboard for Smile in the subway station on my block that I’ve been taking my entire life.

It has been said that mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The first commercial audition I ever had in front of a camera was for McDonald’s. They said “slate!” and I started acting like I was eating a delicious hamburger while watching a movie, acting really hard. The casting director said, “Stop! We just want your name and height.” I was giving it my all. The lesson I learned was to always be prepared as to proper protocol when you enter a room, and if I don’t know something to ask.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m about to go shoot a film in Butte, MT called American Triage about three different perspectives on one event.

You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

My biggest advice would be to never feel resentful of others and celebrate the successes of others you know, because it’s a better way to live one’s life — and because resentment will hamper your craft.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

It’s important to portray and platform stories about people with different identities because it’s in this way we discover our similarities. There’s also an increase in empathy. And we learn. I know my own life. I don’t need to watch it again. I prefer to encounter what I’ve never experienced.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. This may same obvious but always be off-book. Once, early on, I was not as memorized as I should have been and wasted time on set.

2. Always show up early. I’ve been on sets where an individual is late and the whole cast and crew is waiting.

3. Don’t become resentful or be competitive with others. I’ve seen friends become poisoned by it and end up quitting.

4. Always be open to change. In my experience, you can plan as much as you want but you can’t control elements on set outside of yourself.

5. Maintain a life outside of work. In my experience, the actors with a full life are the happiest.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Avoid resentments and competitiveness. Have a life outside of acting and cultivate other interests. And for me, chocolate milk helps.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

In my utopic, idealistic vision, I wish everyone would treat everyone else with the same love and compassion they usually reserve only for family and tribe.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

In my own life, non-professionally, it has definitely been my parents, my sister, my wife and friends who have supported and encouraged me the most — in spite of the odds.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“If you’re in a room and you can’t find the asshole, it’s probably you.” This quote has made me conscious of not being one.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Tony Kushner or Bernie Sanders.

How can our readers follow you online?

@jacksochet on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!