BAFTA-nominated actor Jon McLaren (“Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy”) chatted about starring in the new series “Crossroad Springs” and “When Hope Calls” on Great American Family.
Synopsis of ‘Crossroad Springs’
“Crossroad Springs” follows the Hamilton family, adult siblings James (Jonathan Stoddard) and Janet (Emily Alatalo), their aging family members, dad, Willis (Shaun Johnston), and Aunt Amy (Kate Drummond), who are eking out a living on Hamilton Ranch with financial hardships and staffing shortages.
James, a pastor in Chicago, and Janet, an ER doctor in a neighboring town, feel called to return home to help the family.
Once there, the siblings encounter the son of the owner of the neighboring farm, Daniel Newman (Jesse Hutch), who are all wary of each other due to a generational feud between the families.
As he settles into his new day-to-day life on the farm, James begins to realize there are no places to worship on the thousands of acres of farms.
There, in the environment of come-as-you-are vibes, barns, rodeo arenas, even outdoors under clear night skies, James starts a cowboy church right there in the place where faith, family, and ranch life go hand in hand.
‘Crossroad Springs’
On being a part of “Crossroad Springs,” McLaren said, I’m really excited Crossroad Springs, both personally and for fans to see the show. We had a lot of fun, and so much love went into making this show.”
“The cast is so incredibly talented, the crew amazing, and the whole team top to bottom from Great American Family and Brainpower Studios were so fantastic,” he noted.
“I really can’t wait for everyone to be immersed in the sights, sounds, and stories that make up Crossroad Springs,” he added.
Working with Jonathan Stoddard and the cast
On working with Jonathan Stoddard, McLaren said, “I mean Jonathan and I share the same name, so I knew right away we’d hit it off. And yes, I too am technically a “Jonathan”, though I usually only get the full name treatment when I’m in trouble.”
“Jonathan has been fantastic to work with, and is one of the kindest most giving guys on set. His talent speaks for itself, but more importantly he’s just a really incredible guy,” McLaren said.
“We actually bonded quite a bit over health and fitness, and even shared a few workout plans with each other here and there, so the friendly competition was on. He’s an absolute blast, and I hope to share the screen with him again sometime,” he elaborated.
Experience in ‘Christmas in Midnight Clear’
On his experience in “Christmas in Midnight Clear,” he remarked, “It has been fantastic! Alicia has been an absolute gem and a real joy to play opposite of. I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to divulge, as we speak we’re currently in the middle of shooting, but it’s looking gorgeous.”
“Nicholas (director) and Greg (DOP) are quite the dynamic duo and what they are capturing I think people should be really excited about,” he noted.
“Again, I can’t thank Bill Abbott and everyone at Great American Family enough for continuously putting together such talented teams of people with amazing stories to tell. It sure makes everyone’s jobs easier,” he added.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, McLaren said, “That’s always an interesting question to me.”
“On one hand, I don’t think about the ‘digital age’ all that much in terms of my work, on the other I think we’re all prone to the pressures of social media and the idea that we need to put forth a certain image to the world — for better and worse,” he said.
“Social Media is a slippery slope, one that I admittedly don’t think I’m very good at, but I try my best to balance it all,” he noted.
“From my work perspective, I think the digital age and streaming platforms have shaped the demand for more content at increasingly higher rates which equates (I think) to the need to get projects out the door at a faster pace while trying to maintain a great quality standard,” he observed.
“For me, though, it has always been about bringing people together for a shared emotional experience, regardless of how people choose to consume it,” he admitted.
“If I can deliver a performance that brings a smile to at least one persons face on that day where maybe things haven’t been the best for them, then my job is done. That’s what it’s all about to me,” he elaborated.
Advice for young and emerging actors
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “For anyone looking to get started, I think just dive all in. Find any way to immerse yourself, take classes, work for free, shoot your own short films, and don’t give up.”
McLaren continued, “Very few are lucky enough to be an over-night success, it’s a long road and a labor of love. You have to love what you do. When I started I can’t tell you how many projects I did pro bono, or for very little, but I love being on set, I love to act, I love collaborating.”
“I can’t see it any other way. I didn’t stop, and I didn’t give up on myself, even when times aren’t the easiest. I’m from a small town called Richmond, which growing up was probably 3,000 people… if I can do it, so can you,” he elaborated.
Future plans
On his future plans, McLaren shared, “Well, one of the fun, and — terrifying — if I’m being honest, things about being in this industry is you don’t always know what’s next. I will say that I’m currently waiting to hear back on a couple of projects so keep your fingers crossed for me.”
“I’m also working on a video game at the moment that brings me in sporadically here and there and I’m super excited to get back to that,” he said.
‘When Hope Calls’ on Great American Family
On his experience in “When Hope Calls,” McLaren declared, “It was incredible. I had worked with David Anselmo and his wonderful team a couple times before so getting to work with them again always feels like coming home. I’ve got some good friends on that set and they are like family.”
“It’s always a little nerve wracking stepping into the shoes of a pre-existing character, but the entire cast welcomed me with open arms,” he said.
“When you’ve got great people like Cindy and Christopher leading the charge and fantastic team behind the scenes, you really can’t go wrong. I’m very lucky to be a part of the show,” he acknowledged.
Success
Regarding his definition of success, McLaren said, “I’ll be honest with you, I have really struggled with this question in my life.”
“Success is such a hard thing to define for so many, myself included,” he noted. “I think what I will say is that I’ve learned to try not to be so hard on myself, and if you’re like me, is easier said than done.”
“I’m incredibly grateful to have so many loving people who will always and forever have my back and continuously cheer me on. Not everyone gets that kind of support, and I’m very lucky to have that in my life — even if I need a little reminding at time,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor Jon McLaren, follow him on Instagram.
