Five-time Emmy-winning actor Jonathan Jackson chatted with Greek-American journalist Markos Papadatos about his latest studio album “Radio Cinematic” with his band Enation; moreover, he opened up about his recent trip to Mount Athos and becoming an Orthodox Christian.
Regarding the song selection process for their newest CD, Jackson said, “We had 50 or 60 songs to choose from. We went over the lyrical themes, and we compiled it almost like a film. We recorded the songs and we narrowed it down to the 12 that made the album.”
He listed “I See God In You” and “Cinematic” as two of his favorite songs off the album. “The album is about the loss of innocence and trying to get it back,” he said.
Jackson had nothing but the kindest remarks for his fellow Nashville co-star Chris Carmack and his debut country single “Being Alone.” “Chris’s music is great. His first song ‘Being Alone’ is really awesome,” he said.
He intends to stay busy in the near future. “We are going to be on the road for a while, touring through mid-July, and then I start filming Nashville again,” he said.
Speaking of the tour, on June 1, he will be playing a show at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, New York. “That show is coming up so quick. We are really excited about that show, because it has been a while since we played in New York. Each show is a little bit different. We are doing a lot of fun cover songs on this tour by such artists as R.E.M. and U2,” he said.
Each day, Jackson is motivated by “trying to find the beauty in life.” “My wife, my kids and my friends motivate me and they make life worth living,” he said.
For his portrayal of Lucky Spencer on the ABC soap opera General Hospital, Jackson was honored with five Emmy awards, which was a flattering feeling for the talented actor. “That was amazing,” he said. “It was a real honor for me and a blessing. There was a lot of hard work involved in filming all those scenes over the years. It involved a lot of early mornings, a lot of memorizing and a lot of emotional content.”
On his Orthodox Christian faith, he said, “It was a journey over the last five years, maybe longer now. I always loved reading a lot of history and eventually, lead me there, and it was an incredible blessing. I visited Mount Athos in Greece a month ago, and it was an incredible experience. It is a pretty strong faith, and it definitely felt like coming home in an amazing way.”
He shared his love for Greece. “I loved Greece. We went to Thessaloniki for a couple of days, and then I went to visit the holy mountain and various monasteries. I am hoping to go back again. It was great. The food was incredible and so healthy,” he said.
Jackson listed Florence Welch from Florence and The Machine, and Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries as his dream female duet choices.
On balancing a family life with an entertainment career, he noted that it may get tricky sometimes schedule-wise. “Fortunately, I see my family a lot. When I am filming a show, I am in town. I get to see them quite a bit, which is great, but my work hours are really long. So far it has worked out. We take it a day at a time,” he said.
He defined the word success as “Being as authentic as possible as a person and being honest with himself.”
To learn more about actor and musician Jonathan Jackson, check out his official website.
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