Mason Blomberg is an actor, environmentalist, and animal activist. His newest series, JANE, premieres on Apple TV+ April 14th. The series is inspired by the work of Dr. Jane Goodall. Mason hopes the new show will inspire kids to think about how they can make a difference in this world. Mason took time out of his busy schedule to talk to me about how he got his start in acting, his work in JANE, and his upcoming projects.
Tell us how you got started in the industry.
I got started in the industry when I was around 7 years old. My mom signed me up for Theater Camp because parents are always signing kids up for things to see what they like. Well, I loved it! So, one day I asked my mom, “Hey, can I be on TV?” I would watch shows and thought it looked like it would be so much fun to be an actor! She signed me up for acting classes and it was even more fun than I imagined. I got an agent and a manager and then I started booking small roles like commercials and backgrounds. I kept working hard at my craft and the work paid off as I started getting bigger roles!
What is your process for breaking down a character?
I always read the description for the character before I read the actual script so that I understand who the character is. It is important to understand the character and their personality before reading the script and beginning to memorize. Then, as I am memorizing the lines, I really think about, if I were this person, how would I feel? How would I react? This helps me with my performance.
What do you look for in a role?
I love making people smile and laugh so my favorite roles are comedic characters. I love reading scripts that make me laugh out loud as I read them. It makes it fun to memorize the lines. Plus, it gives me more jokes for real life! I also like serious characters too because it gives me the challenge of becoming someone so different from who I am in real life.
Tell us about your newest project JANE.
Jane is a fun and imaginative series about Jane Garcia and her two friends, David (who is my character) and Graybeard (the chimpanzee). The three of us go on tons of Adventures to save endangered species. This is a live-action show, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before with a mix between live-action scenes and amazing CGI. It is inspired by the works of Dr.
Jane Goodall and each episode contains a quote from her that helps Jane and David learn a lesson. We traveled the world to film this show so that we could showcase real environments where some of these animals live! When you watch Jane, you will see us in Toronto, Alberta, Costa Rica, Kenya, and even in the Ocean in Catalina Island. I can’t wait for the world to see this show and meet these awesome characters.
Why do you think this show is important for kids to watch?
Kids are the next generation of people that are going to protect the environment and they need to know how important they are. This show, Jane, gives kids real-life advice on how they can help protect the environment as Dr. Jane Goodall says, “only if we understand can we care, only if we care can we help, only if we help can they be saved”. I hope kids will watch this show and get to know these amazing animals and be inspired to make a difference for them.
You went to some amazing places to film. Which one was your favorite?
Every place we filmed at was amazing because they were all so unique and I got to learn about so many different environments and the animals there. But my top pick would be Kenya, Africa! There were so many animals there including monkeys, zebras, lions, tigers, elephants, gazelles, giraffes, and more! We even went on two safaris that were super cool! One of the best experiences there was when I got to meet the last two living Northern White Rhinos. It was really emotional when the guide was talking about how there would be no more after these two died. But this is also a good reminder of why we need this show and the teachings of Dr. Jane Goodall to help inspire others to make a difference to keep this from happening to more species.
Tell us something people would be surprised to learn about you.
I can solve a Rubik’s cube in under two minutes. I have also been teaching myself how to do CGI animation because when I saw the CGI for Jane, I was blown away by how real it looks, and those animators inspired me.
Any upcoming projects you can share?
I filmed a lead role of Dax alongside Juju Brenner, who plays my twin sister, in the upcoming movie called “The Furry Fortune”. It is about the twins’ dog who starts to shed money and their neighbors dog-nap him! It’s a super funny movie! I am also currently recording a series regular role for a new Disney series, but I cannot reveal anything about that yet.
Where can we follow you on social media?
You can follow me on Instagram @TheMasonBlomberg and also on my website https://www.masonblomberg.com/.
