By Mike McCarthy
Jeremy Luke been in Hollywood for a while, starting out on NYPD Blue and has worked with some of the biggest directors and producers in the game. From his own YouTube series called Turbo and Joey to big feature movies, Luke has done it all and he’s not looking back. Over the past year Luke had a starring role in Don Jon with Joseph Gordon Leavitt and Scarlett Johansson. He had the lead in the acclaimed Frank Darabont mini-series Mob City as Mickey Cohen. This summer Luke will be in a new Clint Eastwood film about the Four Seasons; Jersey Boys. You have undoubtedly seen Luke in a lot of shows and movies, mostly as the tough guy thug, but he definitely has been changing things up this year.
You have been on a bunch of different shows and movies now, were you usually the tough guy? I’ve always been the tough guy or wanna be tough guy. Or in the case of NYPD Blue, I was the in-between guy who they thought it was and it ended up being someone else. I went from that and now switched to comedy and back to the tough guy. (Regarding his part in Mob City as Mickey Cohen) In my eyes, Mickey Cohen is a likable guy and he likes to be around people and take pictures with them. He’s only a tough guy, when he needs to be. He likes to be a host in his club I don’t think he’s that tough guy unless he’s around tough guys.
What is this show, Turbo and Joey? Is it a new show we can look forward to?: Its not a new show, been doing it for about 3.5 years with my friend Joey Russo, it’s about two struggling actors from Staten Island and the B-Side of Hollywood. Not all the glamour, but an inside look at living in Hollywood.
In Don Jon you were Joseph Gordon Leavitt’s running buddy Danny. How do you compare to him personally?: I never saw myself as a night club kind of guy. I did Jersey Shore Shark Attack, which was more of a leading man role. This one is about a comic relief and I’ve been gearing more towards that now.
The new Client Eastwood movie, Jersey boys is coming out this summer. Are we gonna see Jeremy Luke singing and dancing? (laughing) You won’t see me dancing and singing. I don’t sing or dance, not in my forte` at all. I can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time.
Going from Joseph Gordon Leavitt to Frank Darabont to Clint Eastwood, how do they compare and defer as Directors? Leavitt was more hands on because he was directing and acting in it, and definitely more rehearsals. Working with Clint your rehearsal is like..Boom…Action. And when you work with Darabont, he’s just amazing. I definitely can’t complain about the people that I have worked with over the last 2 years.
What is the one part that you didn’t get and wanted a second chance?: There was this role…a recurring role on Becker with Ted Danson and the character was definitely all me and I really wanted it. I think they went with Jorge Garcia from Lost, a totally different way to go, but it was something that I was really invested in and thought I had it.