We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jonathan Charles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
If I could go back, I would start creating my own projects much sooner. I got my first paying acting job at a Texas Equity theater in 2013, but it wasn’t until five years later that I began making my own work. I was afraid to put myself out there because I didn’t know what I was doing. Looking back, that was pretty silly. Nobody knows what they’re doing when they start.
In 2018, I took the leap with a little web series I made with my wife, Mary McElree, called Nuke Nelson, a no-budget superhero spoof. We shot it on an old DSLR with terrible mics and whatever free music we could find. I had no idea what I was doing when I wrote and filmed it, but I had something I could point to and say, “I made that.”
Fast forward to 2025: Mary and I have launched our production company, Hero Shot, released our first TV pilot, and are in pre-production for our first feature film. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to spend less time chasing external opportunities I hoped would come my way, and more time creating cool things with people I enjoy working with.
Jonathan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am an actor, screenwriter, producer, and most recently a director. I have appeared on numerous TV shows, including Snowfall, Chicago Med, NCIS: LA, General Hospital, and Rutherford Falls. As a writer, my comedy pilot TRASH, which I wrote, directed, and starred in, recently premiered on the Hero Shot Productions YouTube channel (linked below). I also have a story credit on the upcoming indie psychological thriller feature film Beneath the Light, along with multiple completed scripts in development at Hero Shot. As both an actor and a writer, I love ensemble stories that explore found families, purpose, unexpected life turns, and fast-paced dialogue.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I’ve said it before but “My name is Barbra” by Barbra Streisand was incredibly impactful for me as an artist. A good reminder we are all on our own path and that life will look different than you think. Go read it, or listen to the audiobook (it’s also great).
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
There are “rules” when it comes to being an actor. The phrase “nobody knows anything in the business” is repeated so often because it’s true. Does it work? Do you believe it? Does it make you feel something? Then it’s valid.
I started my film career believing casting directors wanted XYZ in audition tapes: plain backdrop, no props, never turn your back. Then, when I started to break those “rules,” I began booking more. Learning why they ask for those things is important… they want to see you do your thing. So if you feel that what represents your character best is using a prop, filming outside, or turning around, then do it.
I booked a CBS pilot as a series regular because I did the tape the way I wanted. What I did fit the story and the way I wanted to play the character. Be smart. If it’s distracting in a bad way, don’t do it. Trusting my instincts has increased my callbacks, pins, and booking rate. A side effect of this is that I always like the work I turn in because it’s actually me, instead of a version of me trying to be what I think they want.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heroshot.tv
- Instagram: @jonathancharlesofficial
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@heroshotproductions
- Other: Link to my comedy pilot TRASH: https://youtu.be/19B76j9vkGA?si=NsbeRAFT-M-Mug4l
Image Credits
Koury Angelo Photography, Mary McElree Photography, Bao Song Photography