Jake Johnson: His Creative Crisis on “New Girl”, Anna Kendrick Chemistry, and the “Dog” Mentality that Carried Him from Dropout to Director
Jan 23, 2024
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Jake Johnson shares his journey from dropout to director, discussing his struggles with dyslexia, chemistry with co-stars, and inspiration for his film. He reflects on family dynamics, his high school acting discovery, and character evolution in 'New Girl'. The podcast also features insights on forgiveness, personal growth, and surviving a dark web reality game.
Hard work beats talent: Jake Johnson emphasizes the value of outworking others to succeed in the creative field.
Draw inspiration from personal experiences: Johnson uses real-life stories and people as inspiration for his creative projects.
Collaboration and creative control: Johnson values working with collaborators who respect his ideas and allow for improvisation in character portrayal.
Deep dives
Believing in Hard Work
Jake Johnson emphasizes the importance of not considering oneself more talented or smarter than others, but instead focusing on outworking them. He believes in putting in more effort, such as writing multiple scripts for every one that others write, knowing that the sixth script might be better than someone else's first.
Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life
Jake Johnson draws inspiration from his own experiences and the people around him. For example, he wrote a play based on his cousin's struggles with addiction and the contrast between her life and that of her sister. Johnson's creative process involves constantly working on multiple projects, including TV shows, movies, and live performances.
Taking Ownership of Characters
Jake Johnson values creative control and collaboration when it comes to portraying his characters. He aims to work with writers and directors who respect his ideas and are open to improvise during the creative process. He believes in a partnership where both parties contribute to shaping the character and their connection with the audience.
Dealing with Anxiety and High Expectations
Jake Johnson admits to battling anxiety and high expectations, leading to nervousness and mental strain. Despite receiving external praise and validation, he still struggles with self-doubt and critiques his own performances. Johnson emphasizes that outside validation does not always change one's inner voice and that creating work he believes in is paramount.
Finding the Line Between Podcast Persona and Real Life
The speaker discusses the challenge of living up to their persona on their podcast and feeling insecure in real-life social situations. They feel the need to be as interesting in person as they are on their show, but worry that they won't meet those expectations. However, they find a distinction between their career and personal life, realizing that they don't feel the same pressure to talk about their work when spending time with family and friends.
Managing Personal Struggles and Addictions
The speaker talks about their personal experiences with alcohol, drugs, and gambling. They talk about their father's struggles and how they were warned about their own addictive tendencies. They discuss their approach to alcohol, setting arbitrary rules and taking breaks from certain behaviors to maintain control. They also reflect on how having children helped them find a healthier balance and provided a distraction from their own performance-driven mindset.
Jake Johnson is an actor, comedian, writer, and director who is best-known for playing Nick Miller on the sitcom New Girl. He’s also one of the voices of Spiderman in the animated movies and he wrote, directed, and stars in the new comedic thriller Self Reliance.
In this episode, Jake shares a life story filled with hilarious and poignant moments – from struggling with dyslexia and dropping out of high school, to finding his calling in the arts, to his complicated and ultimately close relationship with his late father.
Plus: Jake’s highs and lows on the set of New Girl, dealing with occasional performance anxiety that “physically hurts”, his chemistry with co-stars Max Greenfield and Anna Kendrick, keeping his addictive personality under control, and how the inspiration for “Self Reliance” came from a Japanese game show.
