'Twilight' star Jackson Rathbone, exclusive: 'New Moon' movie, 100 Monkeys, his career, Part 1

April 6, 11:55 PMTwilight ExaminerAmanda Bell

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Jackson Rathbone, star of Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a man who wears many hats. The talented star, who plays Jasper (Whitlock) Hale in the Twilight series films is an actor, a musician, and, it appears, a comedian of sorts.

I had an interview with Jackson, who was ranked in the top ten of the IMDb STARmeter last week, where he candidly shared details about his rise to fame, his current projects, and his future, and added a little humor to the mix along the way.

About his start in the entertainment industry, I asked Jackson, “You got your earliest start with Pickwick Players doing musical theatre, right? What was it about that group that got you interested in joining them?” Jackson answered, “Pickwick Players at ole’ MCT in Midland, Texas, was my rough beginnings.” Says he, “my parents made me join the program because I wasn’t making friends at school when our family moved to Midland, and my sister had joined the group. I started off as a tech-guy, building sets and running sound and the lighting boards . . .  then I noticed the guys on stage were [the ones] getting all the girls, so . . . there you go.” Apparently, then, Jackson’s earliest start in the acting world was inspired by his love of the ladies.

When Jackson finished school, he decided to go to Los Angeles, California, instead of following through with his original plans to attend the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburg, Scotland. Rathbone, who is no stranger to the international arena (having been born in Singapore and living in Indonesia for a while), said that it was “blind luck . . . and chance.” Says Jackson, “I moved to L.A. for the summer to work on music as a songwriter . . . but my manager, Cutler Management, started a lot of work for me when I had no resume, so . . . I stayed to become an actor . . . thanks to fan support!”

Since moving to L.A., Jackson’s entertainment career has blossomed nicely. Starting out with parts in The O.C. and Close to Home, Rathbone eventually made it to the big screen in Molding Clay and Travis and Henry before being cast as Jasper Hale, the “newest vegetarian” sibling of the Cullens (played by co-stars Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Peter Facinelli, and Elizabeth Reaser). Since then, his number has skyrocketed, and fans cannot wait to see Jackson reprise his role as Jasper in The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

In fact, Jackson is currently in Vancouver, Canada, filming New Moon, but that hasn’t stopped his band 100 Monkeys from hitting the scene and taking the stage. 100 Monkeys, who are known for their unique and tenacious sound, have tours planned throughout April and May (schedule on their MySpace page).

About 100 Monkeys, I asked Jackson Rathbone about how they are coping with his Twilight success and notoriety and still plugging away.

... Continued on Part 2

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