Jack Messina stars as Cal Stone on NBC’s most anticipated series of 2017, ‘Manifest‘. Cal struggles with a terminal illness and his world turns upside down when Flight 828 forces him to reconcile with his sister, mother and a new reality.
Jack began acting at the age of seven years old – attending classes at the Actors Garage in Manhasset, New York, and has also appeared in commercials for Eliquis and MVP Health.
We got to kindly interview Jack Messina, as the first season of Manifest comes to a wrap. We talk all things Manifest and get to know the 11-year-old in a bit more detail.
Hi. I’m Jack Messina. I play Cal on NBC’s new hit show, Manifest
2. You star in NBC’s ‘Manifest’ as Cal Stone. Would you like to explain to our readers what Manifest is and also give a brief description of your character?
Manifest is a show about a family who split up on their flights home from vacation in Jamaica. My character, Cal, his Dad and his Aunt take a different flight that ends up disappearing for five and a half years. But no time has passed for the passengers on the plane, so when they land they don’t know what happened but their lives are totally different. My character, Cal, is 10 years old and has leukemia, so he’s been through a lot and now he has a new life to figure out. He has a twin sister, Olive, who is now 16 when he returns.
3. How does it feel to have your first big role be a part of a TV show that quickly became one of the most talked about show’s in 2018 and still continues to be incredibly successful?
I am so lucky to be part of such a successful show and having an interesting character at my age. There’s a lot going on for Cal and I love the mystery surrounding him. He’s not an average kid. It’s so much fun.
4. What was it about Manifest and Cal Stone that made you audition for the role?
Being 10 years old at the time of the audition, there weren’t many roles where kids are a major part of the story-line. The role of Cal was an exciting audition for me because I knew he was going to be a big part of the show.
5. It seems that Cal has a big part or could be a big part of what happened to Flight 828, do you think with Cal’s callings and strong connections, he may be part of the puzzle to unlocking the mystery?
Cal is connected to things and people from the plane, but no one knows what happened; it’s unexplained. He has to figure out all the strange things happening to him, like the callings. Maybe they are pieces to the puzzle. We’ll see…
6. One of the situations that occurred because of Flight 828 that I am always fascinated with is that Cal is a twin with Olive, however there is now a five year age gap between them both – do you think that Cal and Olive are ever really going to feel like twins again or will Cal possibly now look up to Olive as just his older sister?
Cal is trying to adjust to the age gap between him and Olive; things are definitely different. But there are some things that twins feel no matter what happens. They still have that twin connection.
7. Do you have any fun behind-the-scenes stories that you could share with us?
Behind the scenes we have a lot of fun. I have nerf gun fights with Josh Dallas. He’s a really nice guy. Sometimes I have my scooter on set and I scoot around the studio.
8. Although I’m sure you’re already living the dream as Cal Stone, what would be the ultimate dream role for you in your acting career?
My dream role would be in a movie with Tom Hanks or Will Farrell.
9. You work with some incredible actors on Manifest. Are there any actors not on the show that you would love to work with in the future?
Besides Tom Hanks and Will Farrell, I would love to work with Jim Carrey.
Quick-Fire Round!
- Favourite Sports? Skiing, basketball, flag football.
- Favourite Superhero? Superman.
- Favourite Movie? Daddy’s Home.
- Favourite TV Show? Spongebob Squarepants.
- Hobbies? Playing drums, video games.
- Describe Manifest in three words. Mystery, Drama, Family.
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