Jason Earles
Earles makes his mark on Hannah Montana
The cast and crew of “Hannah Montana” let out a laugh that shakes the soundstage walls, reacting to a pratfall out of an automobile by series regular Jason Earles.
This is the kind of physical humor the actor brings to his character: Jackson Stewart, brother of Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana (played by Miley Cyrus), on the popular Disney Channel series.
Earles follows a long line of comedians who have brought the slip, fall and tumble of physical comedy to television shows: Tim Conway, Dick Van Dyke, Bill Murray, Jason Ritter, Michael Richards.
“I’m the guy who is willing to take the fall,” Earles says during a break from rehearsals for a forthcoming episode of the cable series. "I always try to make big choices, but I hope that it is not completely absurd.
“There is a fine line between just being so over the top that people are like, ‘Oh my gosh’ vs. being really committed to a joke and taking to a level that makes it really funny.”
Jackson has grown on the show to be the go-to guy for the physical humor. Originally, the character was supposed to be so introverted that he talked through a hand puppet because he was not able to handle the success of his sister.
Earles thought the character felt gimmicky. Luckily, the writers changed their minds.
“We did a scene in the pilot where the family was sitting around the kitchen table. We were all interacting together. The writers saw (my identity) come out in that. They loved the dynamic of the family so much they decided they did not need that gimmick,” Earles says. “They decided Jackson would be more interesting if he was almost oblivious to his sister’s success.”
Earles’ acting instincts come from years of work. His credits include a variety of projects: “American Pie Presents Band Camp,” “National Treasure” and “The Shield.” Nothing has brought him the kind of attention he has gotten for being part of the “Hannah Montana” universe.
As for being in a world with such a hot star at the middle, Earles says it has been an easy place to work because Miley and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, are so laid back.
“I just watch how they interact and then figure out how I best fit into that,” Earles says.
The result has been a significant boost in his star status. Earles knows his fame has slowly grown over the years.
He realized how much being part of the “Hannah Montana” family meant to his career the first time he was stopped at the mall by a group of young girls.
“When the show first came out it was, ‘Hey, that is the guy from “Hannah Montana.” Then six months later it was, ’That is Jackson.’ Six months later it was, ‘That is Jason Earles.’ Six months later it was, ‘You have two cats and you like to play baseball.’ I have seen the relationship with the fans get more and more intimate the longer the show is on," Earles says.
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