America’sGotTalent

Jacob Lofland’s life is turning out just the way he wanted–learning everyday and with an eye on what’s real.

 

WRITER Dio Anthony

 

Interview taken from IMAGINE Magazine. Order the latest issue here.

 

“I just want to stay who I am,” insists 28-year-old Jacob Lofland. Speaking to me from Texas, Lofland sounds casual, and comfortable, with a southern tang to his voice that makes him seem all the more friendly. He’s been acting for over a decade, after making his screen debut in 2011’s Mud alongside Matthew McConaughey. Since then he’s been hard at work building his life and redefining what it means to work in Hollywood. With a tight grip on his southern roots, he’s laying low, working diligently and doing it all outside of the watchful public eye. Currently, he stars as Cooper Norris, son of Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy, in Taylor Sheridan’s Landman. It’s a role that feels made-to-order for Lofland and his own experiences, and he’s appreciating that gift and so many others in his life, one sense of gratitude at a time.

 

Dio Anthony: Thanks for making time today. Something that really stood out to me when reading a bit about your early life was your upbringing in Briggsville, Arkansas. You’ve spoken publicly about this, but I’m wondering specifically, what it was like growing up in a town of 400 people? Did you know everyone’s first and last names? Was it easier to make friends, or was it harder because of that?

 

Jacob Lofland: That’s a really good question. It was super small and incredibly rural. And you definitely know everyone, I mean, you know everyone’s grandparents, how they’re kin to each other, everyone’s brother and sister. You know everything about everybody, and rumors spread like wildfire. It’s totally like High School for Adults.The rumors and stuff spread that fast through the town, but it’s a respectful place at the same time. It’s a real sense of community, and everyone takes care of their neighbour and their friends– or just strangers. It’s such a stereotypical place, but when you live there, it’s so inviting, and everyone there is so welcoming and nice. I feel very blessed to be from a place like that, just because I don’t think there’s a lot of that left around.

 

DA: That’s a good point. You’re right, I feel like there isn’t a lot of that left. You mention information spreading very fast. Seems like if someone moved into town, everyone would know? But also, I’m curious, who is moving into a town this small?

 

JL: A little bit of everybody. I think mostly it was just people moving within the state. Lately in the last five years or so, we’ve had people coming in from Texas, Louisiana, California. There’s so much beauty, and land there and it’s not going for as much as it is in those other states. There’s also so much opportunity to grow, I think that’s what draws a lot of people to it. When people would come into town and move nearby, it’s just like Andy Griffith. They or we would take a covered dish over and introduce ourselves. I’m Jacob, nice to meet you. I’m your neighbour from three miles down the road, heard you moved in. So there’s a real sense of community. Everyone’s just a phone call away or a knock on the door.

 

DA: That’s incredible. Has it changed much since you were a young boy there? Has the population grown? Are your old friends still there?

 

JL: A couple have moved off to do different things. But really, I’m kind of the one out of my friend group that’s not there anymore, and I still live there actually. I’m just gone because I’m traveling for work most of the time. I love keeping those roots and it’s still the same way things were when I was growing up there. I just lost my dad this last year, and the community has really helped me. He was a very well respected man. Everyone really came together and helped our family out through that. You don’t get that in a lot of places, and I feel so lucky to be raised in a place and understand that sense of community and humanity.

 

DA: I’m so sorry to hear that. It feels like you’ve grown up with a unique experience. What’s one thing you’d say is quintessential to living in Briggsville?

 

JL: In my town specifically? That’s a little hard to pinpoint but I think – blue collar work and that you may not be the richest person in the world at the end of the day, but everyone there feels so fulfilled. Whether you’re a farmer or working with equipment, you’re doing something that’s improving and helping the rest of the community and the world. There’s a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Even when things go wrong, you’re still working towards something good. I think that’s a general understanding the community has. It kind of goes back into the film industry. I think that’s why I love this so much. It feels like home. Everyone’s got a job, and no matter how hard the day is, we’re still going to show up tomorrow and do it. That mentality is great.

DA: I’m also fascinated by the idea that you were homeschooled, right?

 

JL: Yes, I was.

 

DA: That’s so interesting to me. Were there a lot of kids being homeschooled because of how small of a town it was? Were you always content with being taught at home? Or was it something where you always wondered about being out there with the other kids as well?

 

JL: My experience was a little different. I did start going to regular school and made it through to eighth grade. I believe that was my last year in public school. All throughout elementary school I had six kids in my class.

 

DA: Wow!

 

JL: Yeah, so it was basically like being homeschooled anyway. Our school bus ride was about a two hour one way trip. I was a bit older than the others, but a lot of the parents didn’t want to put their seven and eight your old kids on a bus ride for four hours everyday. And so, a lot of the community just decided to start homeschooling. Back to the blue collar thing – a lot of our homeschooling would entail us working with our dads. No one could watch us and everyone had a full time job, and so a lot of us learned the trades that our parents were doing. That became part of schooling too.

 

DA: I feel like there’s not a lot of pockets in the country that still retain that idealism that you’re describing. That’s really incredible. So now, to talk a little bit about the series you’re working on currently—I read that when reading for this character of Cooper, you had a feeling that you knew him better than anyone else. I’m curious as to why you thought that? Even just talking to you for less than 10 minutes, I feel like I kind of get it, but I’d love for you to speak to that a bit.

 

JL: I think it was just an understanding. I think it’s a blend of Taylor’s [Sheridan] writing and who the people in the audience he’s writing to, and I really fit into that. My character Cooper and I have been through some of the same things, but in different aspects. The same struggles of figuring things out and going through that life–I related in a way. He’s a young man trying to figure out his place. I’m a little older than Cooper, but as a person, I’m still going through a lot of that every day. I really connected with the character and what he was going through.

 

DA: I know that you underwent some kind of training to handle the equipment and everything we see on the show. That said, since you connected with the character on a deeper level, what would you say was the biggest learning curve for you? Specifically when it came to dealing with all the equipment and technical stuff.

 

JL: I don’t know if it was so much of a learning curve as just a surprise, and hard to fully comprehend the size and scale of what these men do to get this all out of the ground, and how dangerous it can be. It’s a huge business, and people know friends or family that do this but don’t really witness all the moving parts. You can tear your limbs off if you stick a finger in the wrong place. It’s like a ballet in that sense. It’s a well-oiled machine and every person that’s a part of it plays a crucial role. If you mess up, you may possibly kill the next person. More than a learning curve, it was more about just really grasping the fact that there’s no time to play. It’s all very serious, and that as soon as you step on this thing, it can be life or death. Also understanding that there’s people that have done this for years and generations and act like it’s no big thing.

 

“Before meeting Billy Bob [Thornton], you know, that’s always a thing — it’s like, Well, I hope there’s a connection. But within five minutes of meeting him, we never even had to try. It was like old friends reuniting.”

 

DA: It really feels like this project is perfect for you. They say a project really finds an actor and that seems to be the case here. It feels so suited and aligned with your experiences.

 

DA: Thank you. I feel the same way. I’m glad that translates.

 

DA: I’m sure it makes the job a lot more comfortable and easier to really dive into.

 

JL: And really enjoyable to stay in as well.

 

DA: I know that you and your co-star Billy Bob Thornton are from the same state, and that there was a lot of bonding over the similarities of your upbringing. Was there anything that sticks out to you now when it came to building that father-son dynamic for the show?

 

JL: Before meeting Billy Bob, you know, that’s always a thing — it’s like, Well, I hope there’s a connection. But within five minutes of meeting him, we never even had to try. It was like old friends reuniting. It was kind of nuts how we just hit it off. And really, neither of us are avid hunters or anything like that — though we both have in the past — so we can talk about it, but that wasn’t what bonded us. It was more about what we were talking about earlier — coming from those kinds of communities that shared a sense of heart and understanding. That made it so easy to step into things. And then, you know, just hanging out — I try to talk to Billy Bob any chance I get because I love hearing his stories, man, and he loves telling them. I love hearing them. I’ve said it so many times, but when you meet Billy Bob, you get the full Billy Bob experience. You’re never going to get anything but that. He’s so genuine, just the nicest, sweetest person I’ve had the privilege of working with. I feel really lucky that it all went this way. But honestly, there wasn’t a whole lot of trying — it just came naturally. We’re that good of friends, on and off camera.

 

DA: That’s ideal for any actor, to have that kind of working relationship. I’m wondering now, where are you today?

 

JL: I’m actually in Texas right now. I came down to visit some friends.

 

DA: When you’re back home in Arkansas, what’s a regular day like for you? Paint me a picture.

 

JL: It really depends on the day. At this point in my life, financially, I’m in a place where I don’t have to work a nine-to-five. But usually, I wake up, and there’s always a neighbour who needs help on a farm, or I’ll spend time working on mechanics — helping people with their trucks, tractors, whatever — just something to keep me busy. I really enjoy manual labor, working with my hands, seeing something get fixed. So usually, it’s that or picking up the yard. It can be anything from paperwork and accounting to mowing the lawn.

DA: I think about what that must be like for you, and it really does feel like something out of a movie or a TV show—coming back and seeing the same faces all the time. That sense of familiarity, going to the same restaurants that have probably been there since you were a kid. Most people, not even for better or worse, just tend to move on from a small town once their work takes them in a different direction. It’s really cool that you’ve been able to retain those roots, because it obviously means so much to you.

 

JL: Yeah, it means a lot. I feel like it really keeps me grounded. This life — when I’m working in it — is amazing, and I feel so privileged and blessed to have it. I’ve seen things I never dreamed I’d experience. But going home and reminding myself, This is real life, though — that really helps. It keeps me humble and makes me appreciate everything I get to do even more.

 

DA: When you kind of think back to the first year of your career or even your first project, what’s one thing you’ve learned that you didn’t know back then?

 

JL: Oh, there’s 100 things. I’m learning everyday. How hard it was, the dedication, the sacrifice, the time it would take — I don’t think I really had a grasp of that at first. And now, I’m just starting to really understand it. I’ve been doing this, professionally acting, for almost 14 years now, and that sounds absolutely insane to me. But when I look back at the things I have missed or sacrificed for the job, for an awesome opportunity, those are the types of things that come to mind. Some of them were worth it, and some of them might not have been. Personal life stuff, and missing things.

 

DA: I see. I think you really have to make those mistakes in order to learn and understand if they’re worth it in the future. In order to look back and think differently. I think you’ve been lucky to build your career in a way that really fits your lifestyle — that it hasn’t taken too much away from the person you probably would have been if you hadn’t gone down this path. You know what I mean?

 

JL: That’s been my goal actually. I just want to stay who I am.

 

“I’m learning everyday. How hard it was, the dedication, the sacrifice, the time it would take — I don’t think I really had a grasp of that at first. And now, I’m just starting to really understand it.”

 

DA: One thing I love about the show — and something I always think about — is how accurate costume designers can be when pinpointing a specific region or economic background. The way they make everything look so authentic and real on screen is incredible. It made me realise that on this show, there aren’t these big, elaborate costume pieces, but that’s because it’s just real. It reflects what it would actually be. That got me thinking — what’s your go-to outfit combination on any given day when you’re at home? I guess mostly when you’re home, since if you’re working, you’re probably going straight into costume.

 

JL: I’ve got two main outfits, depending on what I’m doing. If I’m going out in public and need to look decent, I’ll throw on a pair of blue jeans. I’ve got a pair of Justin square-toed boots, and usually, I’ll wear a button-up shirt, or sometimes just a short-sleeve t-shirt or something like that — kind of like what Cooper wears. My other wardrobe is what I’m in right now: a black pair of sweatpants, tennis shoes, and a hoodie. If you ever see me, it’s probably one of those two, and I always have a hat on — usually a baseball cap.

 

DA: Those questions are really interesting to me, because people tend to have their personal uniforms. It’s not the same every day, but it differs very little sometimes.

 

JL: Yeah, my closet is full of the same things.

 

DA: That’s hilarious. What are you really enjoying at this time of your life right now?

 

JL: My family. I’ve got a four-year-old daughter — she just turned four in January — and watching her grow and become this little human who can do whatever she sets her mind to, and amaze me every day, is probably the most incredible thing right now. Honestly, it’s hard to think about work when I’m just sitting here watching her grow and do these things. That’s really what I’m thinking about more than anything at the moment.

 

DA: I love that. I naturally have some follow-up questions to that. What’s one thing you’ve learned about being a father in these last few years that you probably wouldn’t have expected? Maybe something you didn’t know about yourself or the way you’ve grown to see the world now that you’re a parent? I have a lot of friends who are just stepping into parenthood, and it’s a question I often wonder about.

 

JL: It really adds a lot of fear at one point. I’ve been more scared than I’ve ever been through certain parts of my life. But right now, I’m more proud than I could ever be because she’s just doing so well, learning new things every day. She loves doing her schoolwork — it’s amazing. One thing I’ve realised is that it takes a really good team. I’ve been with my fiancée for forever — we’re engaged, but I really need to pull the trigger and get married! We’ve been together for almost 10 years now, and I definitely couldn’t do it without her. She holds everything down. She’s the best mother I could ever ask for our little girl. It’s 100% a team effort. You’ve got to give and take. She does her part, and then I step in when I need to. Learning to work as a team is probably one of the funnest, and arguably the most challenging, things to do.

 

DA: So, you’re raising her in the same town you grew up in, yeah? That’s really incredible.

 

JL: All my friends are around the same age, and they’ve all got kids, so it feels like we’re starting a new generation. It’s cool — I get to watch them grow up together. Just like my aunts, uncles, and parents, and their friends got to watch me and my friends grow up. It’s really special.

 

DA: If Walls Could Talk kind of thing, but a town instead of the walls, you know?

 

JL: Exactly.