We recently connected with Jake Bennett and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jake thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

They raised a talented angel, for one. But, enough about my sister. (And I’ll let both my sisters fight over who that is.)

My parents, I think, did a tremendous job of letting me be my own person. They, of course, had very strong world views and taught me the things they thought were important. But they always made sure it was MY decision to make. They respected that my decisions and beliefs were something I was capable of making on my own and left me that free space to discover myself. That, I think, is something that has made me incredibly open-minded and always looking everywhere for answers.

When I told my parents I was moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment, I was nervous. My dad is a retired teacher and football coach and my mom was an incredible homemaker. So, needless to say, what I was doing was NOT something we all grew up thinking about in Huntsville, Alabama. But they respected my dedication to move 2,000 miles not knowing anyone out here or having any feet in the door. It was their upbringing that gave me the courage to follow my dream, and they were and have been so supportive throughout it. I am eternally thankful for them because of it.

And I feel like I also have to shout out the rest of my family for being so wildly and genuinely supportive from day one instead of thinking this was just some silly thing I needed to get out of my system.

Thank you all and now that I’ve said something nice, please save me a piece of that Honey Bun Cake for Christmas next year, yeah?

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in the home of Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama doing what a lot of boys do in Bama: Playing football and shooting fireworks. I moved to Los Angeles in 2011, intending to pursue acting and writing.

And wouldn’t you know it… it’s HARD.

But in my house growing up, profanity was four-letter words. And “quit” was profanity.

So, I’ve stuck it out for fourteen years. Through thick and VERY thin. And I’m not just talking about my weight. And trust me when I say I’ll never do anything else.

I think that perseverance is one of my best qualities. I will always deliver, no matter what it takes out of me. When I sink my teeth into something, I can’t let it go. I will work and work and work on it until it is something *I* am proud of. And in this industry, you NEED perseverance. I’ve been part of mass layoffs at three different companies. It’s not fun. But you have to keep pushing. It’s the only way you can survive.

I started out just doing transcription for a few different production companies, but I have since worked at places like G4TV and Geek & Sundry writing, developing, and producing creative and comedic content as well as hosting shows and panels and acting! My father always told me I have a face for radio, so maybe that’s why I get a lot of creative work BEHIND the scenes… I’ve even sold three sitcoms to Warner Horizon which was an incredible opportunity.

But the one thing I love the most? Making people laugh. Making them smile. Whether it’s a sketch, a short, a pilot, or a feature, all I want out of life is to make people laugh and hopefully be able to buy a carton of eggs because of it. Though, eggs these days are basically like Cristal. I expect them to be in rap videos soon.

Even though comedy is what I love, I can of course be serious. After all, maturity is knowing when and where to be immature. And lord knows I’m good at that. Usually…

I’ve also helped with marketing content for clients like PlayStation, IGN, Snapdragon, and Skybound Entertainment.

In addition to those, I also host a podcast called Rebooked that is focused on the beautiful, violent art that is professional wrestling and specifically the stories that are told in and out of the ring. Yes. Wrestling is an art. It’s wonderful and you should join us. There’s always a spot for you in the crowd!

What you should know about me is that I’m highly collaborative and love creating. Teamwork always makes the best work, especially when everyone is as passionate about the project as you are. And that collaboration is something I love and crave.

As far as what I’m most proud of? Hell… still being here after 14 years is quite the feat. But I’m proud of everything I’ve done. I won’t put my name on it otherwise. But several video essays I did at G4 were a blast to make like explaining how football video games are basically just RPGs or the unreleased short film we made for Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed where I got to be a Ghostbuster. Why wasn’t that one released? See: Layoffs. My team at Xplay also developed G4’s first original live action sitcom called “God of Work,” which we are very proud of. I wrote two episodes AND guest starred in an episode as a 14-year-old emo kid. Look at my photos and read that sentence again. Also, working with one of my best friends on our show Asinine Wisdom for Geek & Sundry will always be a cherished memory, especially our short film where we argued which Christmas movie was the best all while recreating each scene with us in them. Got to live out my dream of playing John McClane stuck in an air vent. “Come out to the coast! We’ll get together, have a few laughs!”

Bottom line, I can do SO much. I write, I produce, I act, I host, I entertain, I make an HELL of a barbecue sauce, AND I was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2006. Seriously. Look it up.

But if it’s something I can’t do, I’ll learn it. And if I can’t learn it, I’ll just tell you I can. NO! I’m kidding. I’ll refer you to one of the dozens of talented friends I have that are sure to help you out. But, you’re always gonna get 100% from me no matter what. Because I am a Jake of All Trades.

I promise I can write better jokes than that…

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I honestly don’t know if there is just ONE story.

I can tell you that 2016 was one of the worst years of my life. I was working as a transcriber at the time, but had scheduled pitch meetings with Warner Horizon about a sitcom I had written with a friend of mine, Daryl Crittenden. In February of that year, my mother went to the ER with chest pains. It had turned out that the chest pains were from a lack of blood in her body. Where was it? In her stomach. Why was it there? Because the cancer had eaten through her stomach wall and she was bleeding internally.

The day before I could fly home, the production company I worked for laid off the entire department. Fun, right?

I stayed home for two weeks before she was discharged and began her battle with cancer. Unfortunately, six months later she passed away from a stroke. Yeah. My mom was such a badass that cancer needed backup.

But that was a loss I had never dealt with before. It was rough. Ultimately, the networks we pitched the show to passed not long after my mom did. All in a six month span, I had lost my mother, my job, and my dream. That nearly broke me. I was as low as I’ve maybe ever been.

But thanks to the love and encouragement from the woman I was dating at the time, I got back up and started writing and performing again. It took a while, but eventually I rediscovered how good it made me feel to write again. How good it felt to make people laugh again. Doing that helped remind me what it was like to laugh. What it was like to live. And to that woman, I am eternally grateful.

As a thank you, I proposed to that woman last July and we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together. That part has nothing to do with my career, I just wanted to brag for a second. (Shawna Kelley, I love you. She’s also an amazing production manager and coordinator, so hire her too!)

Long story longer, that combined with numerous other disappointments in life have served to teach me one very important lesson that I still have to learn everyday:

You are NOT your failures.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have several goals and missions driving me. For example, working in this industry with friends and family that I love and care about would be an INCREDIBLE dream come true.

I don’t wanna be rich and famous, as much as it’s probably WAY better than being poor and nobody.

Ultimately, I just want to make a good living in this industry and to create great work I am PROUD of. I want to maintain my integrity, not forget who I am or where I came from, and help others up the ladder behind me.

THAT is what I want. And to ask for anything else? That’s just being greedy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jakegbennett
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakegbennett/
• Twitter: @jakegbennett
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@REBOOKEDWrestling

Image Credits

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