Jacob Young: Emmy-Winning Actor/ Producer/ Director

Jacob Young is an Emmy-winning actor (five time nominee) who was a fan favorite for more than twenty years on shows like "General Hospital", "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "One Life to Live". Despite all the success, a few years ago he decided to walk away from the soap opera world, opting for different  opportunities both in front ... and behind the camera. Now, with the help of a fellow soap star, he's helping the next generation chase their Hollywood dreams, while at the same time finding his voice in the podcast world to encourage those in need of a little support along life’s journey.

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Transcript

Jacob Young: [00:00:00] When I was young, you know, you're eager, you're excited and they, you want to do great things. And so giving them that possibility to achieve what they think is unachievable, it's really a great feeling inside. And I, and I, I know they're going to get so much out of it. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Hey, it's Michelle. Welcome to conversations.

I'm looking forward to bringing you some new guests in the coming months, but in the meantime, this one is from the vault and it has a Hollywood flair. From General Hospital to The Bold and Beautiful to All My Children, Jacob Young is no stranger in the soap opera world, having played the namesakes of some of the most loved, or sometimes hated, TV families in daytime dramas.

But after 20 years, he chose to walk away for a few reasons, which he talks about in this interview. Today, you can find him both behind and in front of the camera, and his focus isn't solely on his own career. But the creation of potential opportunities for the next generation. Along with fellow actor and former soap star Trent Garrett, [00:01:00] Jacob is bringing aspiring writers, actors, directors, and filmmakers into the fold with their group, Next Generation Storytellers, a unique student and school partnership that was launched in Garrett's hometown of Hampton, Virginia.

While Jacob's work with youth is impressive, it's his own personal childhood story that really pulled me in, especially as he relates it to the connection he has with a long running non profit organization that was introduced to many thanks to the Academy Award winning movie 1938's Boys Town with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.

And so the Hollywood storyline comes full circle. Hope you enjoy my conversation with Jacob Young. We all know what we've seen you in, but I can't wait for people to hear what you're working on now. Before we go into that, let's backtrack a little bit. Where did it start? How old were you? Where were you at when you thought, you know what, I think I want to do this acting thing?

Jacob Young: Yeah. Well, it's, it started very young, [00:02:00] whether I knew what I was doing or not. My dad. Had an old Chevy pickup truck that didn't have a radio in it. And my dad would always play harmonica and I just loved hearing him play harmonica. So I wanted to learn how to play harmonica. That was really the first entertainment portion of my as far back as I can go.

And from there it went into singing in choir because I wanted to sing. I started in the sixth grade in choir doing everything from men's ensemble to Concert choirs you name it and if there was any kind of musical theater program that was going on I was involving myself in that I learned to play guitar by myself, without any instruction so I could learn to sing to the guitar And that was really that's really kind of what started it.

But but really where the professional aspect ended up coming in was just before college I Obviously i've still Performing in school [00:03:00] and I was getting ready to go to college UCLA and I decided I was going to get a commercial agent to just to try to do some auditions to make an extra little scratch on the side so I could pay for college.

And I ended up taking my resume and I tell all the different students and people, you know, young aspiring actors that come up under mentoring them. You know, you have to, it's a lot of hard work and I literally went around And I brought my resume to every single agency that I could possibly find in the phone book.

And that's another joke I always make with the young generation. I go, yes, we use those back then. What's a phone book. Yeah. I ended up, I ended up getting an agency, a little commercial agency out of, well, it wasn't a little, it was out of Beverly Hills and. I started auditioning and just before I was getting ready to go into college after the summer, I had booked a national Pepsi commercial, a Nickelodeon show, and The Bold and the Beautiful.

[00:04:00] And obviously I had to choose what was going to be the best case scenario, and that was a contract role on a network television series. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Yeah. I can't even imagine the thought process though, because as you said, you decide to kind of, you know, test the waters, see if this acting biz is for you. Not one, not two, But three offers come in at once, were you a little blown away?

I mean, what was, what was your emotional take there? 

Jacob Young: Yeah, you know, I, I was because my mom was kind of hounding me, it was only a couple months into actually auditioning for commercials and a couple different shows. And she's like, when are you going to book something? I'm like, well, you know, it's a little while.

It doesn't happen overnight. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Right. 

Jacob Young: And then that happened. But, I don't think I really understood the scale of things until I was a little bit older because that's not a normal scenario. You don't just get an agency, three months later, book a TV show. I mean, that's really, really, that's, that's [00:05:00] luck. That's just possibly good timing and maybe ever so slightly good instincts because I was very, very green to TV and film.

I had never studied TV and film and that was, that was a like being thrown into the fire. But, but, but yeah, so it was, it was it was, it was a lot of luck and I decided that, well, this, if this is going to be a possibility for me, then I'm going to dig my heels in and get into a class and study and on top of that work simultaneously.

My parents, of course, were beside themselves that I was working, of course, and making a living, and and, and also, you know, working with all these wonderful actors. My mom was a big soap fan, so for her it was it was a real dream come true for me as well. Two thousand episodes of soap operas, playing the Patriarch's son on every show.

So Luke and Laura's son David Canary played Adam Chandler, his son, and also John McCook. I played, and I [00:06:00] played junior. It was always junior, except that I went by, always by an alien. So I was the junior to all those to all those great actors. I, I learned so much from being on all those shows with all those great actors and, and the guys, of course, that mentored me and played my father on all those shows.

You know, but the bottom line though for me was it wasn't about the fact that that work wasn't great But the fact that artistically that's all I had ever been doing and I mean, yes Of course, I was I did Broadway and I did movies a couple movies in between here and there But I never really was able to explore those possibilities Because I was always under a contract and under contracts.

You're very very limited to any other outside work. So I decided to pull away from soaps and pick and choose and try to audition for the things that I want to go out for and try to get on some other projects producing wise. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: You have some really cool things in the works, some you can talk about, some you can't.

So tell people who have missed seeing you [00:07:00] on the regular basis what you're doing now. 

Jacob Young: Well, over the last few years, I've signed onto a couple of projects with either mutual friends in the business. One of course was this film prepare for launch, which was a story of Apollo astronaut, John bull.

It's a short, it's more of a proof of concept versus a a full length feature, but sometimes in order to get the financing for that kind of project, when you're dealing with. Major special effects and space. And, you know, it's, it's hard to come by private funding. So you really are looking for distribution or studio to get behind something like that.

So that film is currently in multiple film festivals across the country. We're cautiously optimistic, but regardless, that was a really fun project no matter where it goes from here. And then I've gone into business with my good friend, Jason Cook, who of course Anybody who does know soaps knows that Jason was on Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, [00:08:00] but Jason is also a very talented director and screenwriter, and he got me involved in a project right in the middle of lockdowns in LA, just enough of a window, it actually worked out for us.

To just shoot this little gritty film called Four for Fun that he wrote. And it's just crazy conceptual, it's just a crazy concept of 11 different endings. That film is also in the film festival world right now, but currently Jason and I are also in development with a major And that's really not really something I could be talking about, but I can tell you that this is probably the largest project I've ever been involved with or any kind of business outside of just working on a contract and a role.

So it's a really wonderful feeling when you realize, I don't have to try to audition for every single role because Somebody's telling me to or, or let alone maybe if I, if I feel like I want to step away from that for a while to still stay in the [00:09:00] industry, but being behind the camera and and still artistically telling the story.

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Was there a moment that hit you? After leaving the soap opera world where you thought, you know what, I know that I made the right decision. 

Jacob Young: Yeah I think the moment I walked away that was really, I mean, because I, it was, it was artistically killing me inside. You really are pressed to perform at such a level so quickly.

You really don't have time to smell the roses. So it constantly gave me anxiety. It constantly, you know, gave me an upset stomach. Not that I, it wasn't something I couldn't handle, but I didn't, I realized that it wasn't something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life and work under those restraints.

And. The moment I walked away it was like I could totally breathe again And I know that's what not all the fans want to hear but for me that was it was very liberating to not to not have to feel like I needed [00:10:00] to show up so often and so so quickly. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Yeah, no, and I can understand that. And I think all of your fans for all of those years, they can understand that as well, that we all go through those phases, we grow up, we graduate from different things in our life to hopefully go on to better things in life better in a way that better suits us for the time of life we're in.

So I'm sure your fans are still loving you as they were in soap opera world as they will and following these projects. So Let's talk about acting workshops and acting class because now you are on the other side of things. Tell us more about that because I believe virtual classes involved as well. 

Jacob Young: Yeah, no, there's, there's both.

We have both virtual and workshops. We were just in Kentucky with a workshop out there. I'm teaching more about industry awareness, how to get into the business, how to sustain in the business. But also work on the chops for TV and film. So they have that. The big reward in this is we are working with the academies of [00:11:00] Hampton, Hampton, Virginia, which is a division of Ford Next Generation Learning, which is an amazing grant program through Ford Motor Company.

They literally are giving children. And the opportunities that they wouldn't normally have through vocational programs. Of course, these kids have to apply, even though they're from low income and inner city, you know, schools. So, I created a curriculum, a short film festival, that they'll enter competition between the students.

And they're really looking for something like this to explore. Something that would integrate every aspect of what they're already learning. So, if they're in their English literature class, You know, they're going to be working on the synopsis for the film. Mathematics, they're going to be working on the budgets for craft services on a set.

The, the kids that are going into hosting and, and food, they're going to be required. And the great thing about a film set, which a lot of people don't know is every single one of those jobs are separate unions, or they're separate guilds that are offering benefits that are giving these kids, not only the artistic background, but [00:12:00] also, stability.

When I was young, you know, you're eager, you're excited. And they you want to do great things. And so giving them that possibility to achieve what they think is unachievable, it's really a great feeling inside. And I know they're going to get so much out of it. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: You also have this podcast, you basically talk to these amazing people that have amazing stories and a lot of hardship.

And I love that you want to put that out there, not just for the sake of pushing out a story that's salacious and that people will want to hear, but because of what comes after. And I think there's so much beauty to, you know, hear how other people came through their tough time. Tell me what that's like.

How'd that come to be? Because I know people will want to, to tune into that. 

Jacob Young: Well, I mean, as much as it, I don't know how I come across, but I'm an incredibly sensitive human being and I'm sensitive to those things. I was in foster care as a child for a [00:13:00] while. I've, I've gone through the gamut as a kid, which probably is the reason why I'm, I'm so connected emotionally and why I've been able to excel in, in acting because of being able to hide behind things.

But really, I thought it was fascinating because a lot of people know all the accolades of what people have done. professionals in all industries. And what most people don't know is that there was a lot of hurdles that they've had to overcome in their lives by presenting an open conversation with people.

And some open up a lot, a lot more than others, of course because it's not always easy to talk about, you know, what was your mental health like at that point? Or what are some of the obstacles that you've had to go through? There's definitely, you A lot less of the stigma that's, that's gone around it.

And I think that's, what's really wonderful. And so people are really willing to open up to help each other. And maybe that's been one of the positive aspects of social media. I think we were so in tune with each other. Now [00:14:00] people are aware of what's happening. And then there's also that other aspect of social media, which is you know, just not great.

It's a falsehood and people living in alternate realities. I like to call it. But, but yeah, so real conversations with Jacob young is it's an open conversation. I do structure my interviews because I like to be able to create a product that people can expect. I've had some interviews in the past by some random people that have huge followings and and they're just, they just, You know, there's no real structure to it.

And that's, that's, that's their own thing. That's, you know, what they want to do, but sometimes they haven't done their homework. And I like to do my homework. As you have, Michelle, apparently you've learned everything there is to know about me. So 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: I love that you have that aspect because you're helping so many people.

I think by sharing stories and Boys Town is one of your big sponsors there. Can I ask you, and if you don't want this to be used, I don't know. Totally understand, but I can't not ask about it when [00:15:00] you talk about, and I think this is just so huge for people who might be in the situation. You said you're briefly in foster care.

Can you talk a little bit more about your childhood and what that was like? 

Jacob Young: Yeah, sure. So I grew up in a divorced family. I'm the youngest of four children. My parents were living in separate states. Father's rights was not something that was really on the table at that time. So my mother was raising all four of us, of course on welfare, you know, food bank.

My father was you know, sending child support. He was a good father. He was very steady, but also I guess probably hated my mom for what, you know, they, they just never, they never got along even to this very day. But with that said you know, my, my mom married a man who got out of, they're together now and still after all these years, but he literally had just gotten out of three year stretch out of prison for heroin.

And he was an incredible alcoholic. My mom and him both were very violent to each other in front of us kids for many, many years. Many [00:16:00] times they were going to get divorced and there's, I can't tell you how many times we were living with my grandma or whatever. My first grade year of my, my education, I went to seven different elementary schools.

You know, finally found some stability after some time, but I ultimately wanted to be with my dad and my brother. I was the only boy that was living with my two sisters. And it was younger. And so I didn't get to make that choice until I was a teenager. And then I was a teenager and I moved in. My brother went off to yeah, he graduated, went to the military and for a little bit, and then came back.

And shortly after that, my step mom uh, shot herself and killed herself in the house. And so, That at that point was probably the beginning of the end for a lot of us. It was my brothers and sisters, we pulled together, but my dad became even less involved in our lives. And so basically I had no choice but to move back with my mom.

Who then decided that, you know, she was dealing with some issues, wanted to be out of the [00:17:00] current situation that she was in. So she just sold their place and got a fifth wheel trailer and left and hightailed it out of town. I went to try to live with my sister for a minute, but they couldn't afford me.

And I really wanted to stay at the same school that I knew. So I talked to the vice principal of the school and he went to his church and he knew a couple of families that were already taking care of foster kids. And he opened it up to them, and there was a family that was a very well known family in town, which was unexpected, but they wanted to take me in.

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Think one person can't make a difference? Here's 60 seconds to change your mind. What happens when a Hollywood casting director and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer realize they both discovered the secret that they were adopted? Three words. The Felix Organization. Emmy Award winner Sheila Jaffe, known for Sopranos and Entourage, was 11 when she discovered her family secret.

Run DMC co founder Darryl McDaniels found out he was adopted at the age of 35. After they connected through their shared experiences as [00:18:00] adoptees, they were inspired to share their good fortune with children who had not been taken home as they had. Since 2006, the Felix organization has provided a variety of camps and events to enrich the lives of foster children.

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Jacob Young: So for several years, I had very solid stability church every Sunday, Wednesday youth group programs. I felt really like what a normal. family should have felt like for the first time in my life. And I think the one thing that I took away from there the most was that that normalcy was something I wanted to help my brothers and sisters and my mom see.

And [00:19:00] so I decided my senior year to move down with my mom and she was in San Diego at this time, she had moved from Oregon. And I just wanted to, I wanted to have that opportunity to, I don't know, to educate, I guess. And, and let, let everybody know it's okay. So I guess when, when this opportunity arose with Boys Town, I've been working with Boys Town now for quite a while.

Six years it started with a very simple thing, which I didn't realize At the time it was a an influencer campaign, but I thought it was really unique and it was based for kids and it was what they call a praise box and something you hang on their door instead of Concentrating on all the things that kids can get into and make messes and you're constantly bickering saying Oh, you got to do this.

You got to make your bed. You got to clean your room You didn't do great in school or whatever concentrate on the things Putting compliments of things that they're doing well, so then they can open them up later and read those notes and I thought wow, that's such a great idea And it probably [00:20:00] wasn't until another year later, but I saw it had come on the Hallmark Channel or something, but the classic movie Boys Town with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.

And immediately a light went off and I said, this can't be, this can't be the same exact Boys Town that I just worked with. And I reached out to the PR lady and I said, Hey, is this the same Boys Town? She goes, absolutely one in the same. You know, I said, well, let me know if there's anything that I can do.

I'd love to learn a little bit more about what Boys Town does. And so they met with me and they said, would you mind doing a commercial? So I managed to produce it myself while I was in Utah for them. And we had great success with that. And, and we've just been working. nonstop together ever since. So I've been to the campus several times now.

I've talked with the boys and the girls of Boys Town. I've met with them. I've watched their games. I've sat down with what they call family dinners where there's, you know, 10 of the kids that live in one big home, like a group home scenario, but [00:21:00] they call them parent teachers. And these kids have a, an award system that they use.

And the really interesting thing about Boys Town, there's, I mean, there's just so many facets and so many wonderful things that are going on there, but They have two of the three. They're like a big cat scan or brain scan, but there's nothing else like them in the world. I mean, just put it in perspective when they would scan kids, their brains for trauma.

Maybe they could see like a, a quarter, you know, where that, that area is, but it was really hard. They couldn't get in. Now that these new machines, they can see almost a pinprick of where the trauma located and they can isolate it now. And they've, they've seen and studies, many, many studies through love and a formal situation where kids have to take responsibilities for themselves, but also are rewarded for it, that the brain and the trauma will heal.

And they're pretty much on the precipice of a Nobel peace [00:22:00] prize. And they're constantly working to try to. to help because the program has just evolved obviously since 1870. But it's, it's an amazing, amazing father. Flanagan was amazing guy. It was amazing. He, I always say like he would have been in, he would have had tick tock.

He would have had social media. So much money through out of every unconventional way in those days. Like he was literally podcasting in those days. He was doing voice to roll recorders. Like he, he documented everything. If the kids were really good at singing and dancing, well, they were going to be sent up to Chicago on a traveling train so they can sing and dance and, you know, make people aware of boys town.

So more kids could have. Roof over their head three square meals a day and an education and a career possibility. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: One thing that really stuck out to me when you talked about, for a brief time, I felt the normalcy of, Oh, this is what a family should be. 

Jacob Young: Long ago, I accepted [00:23:00] the life that was presented to me and that family I was talking about, you know, they, they got me into therapy.

They, they helped me out along the way. They even went as far as, this is unbeknownst to me. I was always a good student. School kind of came easy, but I also enjoyed school cause it was an escapism for me. It was, I didn't have to be at home dealing with the reality of what. like. So I embraced that. But they went as far as getting me a grant to go to college.

I didn't even know. And when I told them I said I needed to do some work on my family and help my family out. They heard me loud and clear. But, you know, they had, they were there to support me and, you know. Boystown does that same exact thing. 

Michelle Dawn Mooney: Hope you enjoyed my conversation with Jacob Young. If you would like to learn more about Jacob's podcast and current projects, be sure to follow him on social media.

You can find his links in the show notes. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love for you to leave a review to help more people find the show. And feel free to subscribe to the podcast so you can hear more conversations like the one you heard today. Thanks for [00:24:00] listening. And remember, one person can make a difference and that difference maker could be you.

We'll see you soon.