Please introduce yourself, what you do, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.
My name is Jacob Buster. I’m an actor and I love acting because it brings out such wonderful, emotional, and human sides of stories.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
Everyone in the industry has a unique background and lens through which they see the world. So, we’re all unique. There are as many different actors as there are humans. A uniqueness of me is that I grew up in a small town.
I didn’t grow up in LA. I’ve had a pretty real and grounded upbringing, which informs how I see the world and characters. I wear my vulnerabilities. Though I love where I’m from and I think it serves me well as an actor, I’m grateful to be a part of this industry because I’m given an opportunity to grow as a person on and off screen.
By exploring a character with their unique past, I can learn so much about myself, the world, and all humans.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you wanted to do what you do now. Who did you tell first? What has it been like since that moment?
I first realized acting was what I wanted to do with my life when I was about 16 years old. I had been acting since I was 7, but I never took the time to truly understand what a story was about and why it was important.
After I was ready to see the emotional depth in this field, I truly fell in love and immediately went to my Mom and Dad to tell them about my feelings. Ever since that moment, I’ve truly fallen in love with the work, and I can’t wait to continue exploring it.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge I’ve had to face so far in my career is my own thoughts. I’ve had doubts, thoughts of not being good enough. I’ve felt lonely at times being away from my friends and family for months at a time.
I’ve had to learn that my outlook on the situation is everything. Using those challenges to grow and push myself in a good direction is what will help me the most.
You star in Showtime’s Let The Right One In. Tell us about your character and the show.
My character in ‘Let The Right One In’ is Peter Logan. He is a vampire and has been for 10 years. Being stuck in the basement unable to be with other people and being able to even grow up, his mental and emotional growth has been stuck.
This has positives and negatives. Peter is able to bring humor and light to a dark situation, still having a teenage mindset. However, Peter also doesn’t fully understand how much the people around him have sacrificed to keep him alive and looking for a cure.
Why should people watch the show?
‘Let The Right One In’ is a show about vampires but it’s approach to a vampire story is very different. This story explores family connection with a lot of moral questions arising. The characters have their own struggles and goals trying to navigate such an emotional, human world.
Life and death questions, soul searching questions are asked of each character as they search for a cure. It is well worth the watch. I think it’s easy to understand and love these characters as you witness the horrors, they have to go through to experience the wonders of life.
What is your favorite memory from filming? What was the most challenging part of the process?
One of my favorite memories from filming ‘Let The Right One In’ was during a very intense physical and emotional scene. In between takes most of the cast would sit down together and talk about the scene.
We were in the process of connecting over a wonderful story. We had multiple inside jokes a well, just deepening the bond.
How do you prepare for a day of filming when you’re working on a project?
It’s pretty basic, but . . . lines, lines, lines. Before I ever set foot on set, I do my homework reading and rereading the script, considering my motivations and learning my lines until they’re second nature.
I don’t want to think about lines, I want to be present and connect. The day of filming, I’m up early, grab breakfast and then I want to spend some time with the actors I get to work with.
I like to feel the connection off set and get different takes on the scenes coming up so I can see multiple angles.
What has been your most memorable experience so far from your career?
The most memorable experience I’ve had acting was actually on ‘Let The Right One In.’ Getting in and out of the makeup was such a mental and physical experience.
The cast and crew around me were all so kind and thoughtful that it would be hard to forget that set for the amazing people and experiences.
What is one thing about being an actor that you didn’t expect when you started?
I didn’t realize how many wonderful people there are to meet and exciting places to go. Acting has given me opportunities to make life-long friends and explore amazing places I may have never otherwise gone.
My most exotic location was South Africa. I was there for three weeks filming a pilot for the WB. I’m not sure I would have ever gotten to go on safari, dive with crocodiles and zipline over African landscapes without acting affording me that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Acting is truly an adventure in so many ways.
What is one interesting thing people don’t know about you?
I played competitive soccer for 12 years. Soccer was the main focus of my life until I had to make a choice. I loved both soccer and acting, but there came a point where there was no way to do both. Acting won.
Recently I’ve been getting into soccer again with pickup games, enjoying the sport again I used to play so often.
What advice would you give to other people who want to pursue an acting career?
There are so many different types of roles and stories to be a part of that I think it’s important to expand your horizons and have as many experiences as possible.
I also think it’s important to stretch yourself in choices of roles and be open to all possibilities. Second, the audition process itself needs to be viewed as something benefiting you.
So, even if you don’t get the part, there’s always something to gain from the process. Auditioning is your job. The process is acting. Learn to love the process no matter the outcome.
What are your professional goals for the next year?
I want be a part of a story that is real and emotional, that might give me or others a new outlook on life. I would also love to write and create films and shows. So, really my goals are to continue to grow by seeking and embracing all new opportunities that come my way.
Do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about?
A project I filmed last year, ‘Aliens Abducted My Parents And Now I Feel Kinda Left Out ‘ just got accepted into The Sundance Film Festival. I’m so excited to go be a part of Sundance this January.
This film was so wonderful to be a part of. I met great, incredibly talented people. The script takes two completely opposite characters and throws them into an adventure together to learn from each other, find clues solving a mystery, and search for my missing parents.
If you had to pick the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could take your career to the next level….who would those 3 people be?
Timothee Chalemet is an actor I would love to learn from. His performances are captivating and very grounded. Zendaya is an actress who is also incredibly talented.
Her choices always bring such an interesting spark to the screen and watching her act really makes me want to learn. Luca Guadagnino is a director that I really enjoy. His work is very grounded with a clear purpose for life and humanity which I love.