Jacques stars as Jaget in the Nickelodeon comedy series Side Hustle. The show follows two inseparable teenage girls who must find a way to make money after an incident that led to the destruction of a boat that belongs to their neighbor Munchy’s dad. As Munchy’s protective older brother, Jaget inserts himself to remedy the situation. The kids decide to create an app that helps match people with odd jobs and Jaget is in charge of making sure the business runs smoothly. Chevelle stars alongside Annie LeBlanc, Jayden Bartels, and Mitchell Berg.
You’ve established yourself as an amazing actor, what inspired you to get into acting?
Growing up, I knew I wanted to go into acting at the young age of eleven. I recall watching Queen Latifah in Set It Off and how her performance enamored me. This role was a stark difference from her performance in Last Holiday, and it was this duality that captured my attention the most.
How did your journey as an actor begin as you were getting into the industry?
I did Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors in high school. I played Dromio of Ephesus. From there, I became interested in theatre and musicals, which led me to pursue roles in film and TV.
You star in the Nickelodeon comedy “Side Hustle”, how does it feel being a part of it?
It’s been great! It has come full circle for me because I grew up watching Nickelodeon and now I’m on one of their shows. The writing on Side Hustle is hilarious and the cast and crew are very supportive. It feels like a little community at Nickelodeon.
Since you’ve acted in comedic roles, as an actor how does it feel to portray comedic characters?
The more comedic roles you have a chance to play as an actor, the easier it is to find the joke in the script. At this point in my career, it has become easier to find what’s funny in a scene or character.
You do an amazing job in portraying your character on the show, are there any similarities between were and your character?
I pull a lot from the relationship I had with my older brother when I was younger. My character’s tone and energy was influenced by how I spoke with my brother. We would give each other a hard time all the time and mess with each other.
Your character has become a fan favorite, what do you think is the key factor that makes your character more relatable to the audience?
Jaget does what he wants and says what he wants. He doesn’t care how it looks to everyone else. I think people can relate to a character that moves to his own beat and doesn’t give a rip what other people think of him.
Was it always your intention to do comedic roles or do you see yourself taking more serious roles in the future?
Yes, I enjoy comedy and drama. Some of my favorite actors understand the different nuances of both genres and I would love for my career to reflect that.
You’re also an acclaimed theatre performer, how does acting in musicals compare to acting on TV?
Musicals and plays are both played towards the audience, meaning that everything is positioned so that the people in the audience can see. Multi-Camera shows are set up the same way and the audience are the cameras. They both have their challenges, but most things overlap like holding for laughs and keeping yourself open for the audience.
Since you do theatre, do you see yourself being a part of a Broadway musical sometime in the future?
Theatre is my first love, and I don’t see a future without me hitting the stage again! I’m not sure in what capacity, but possibly in the next couple of years I’d love to be a part of another play.
