Currently an actress on incredible new show The Path, Sarah Jones is acting alongside Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan as she plays the role of Alison. The Path comes from producers behind Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, and we’re already obsessed since it debuted on Hulu last month. Sarah is also a recognisable face from some of our other favourite shows like Sons of Anarchy, Big Love and Vegas. We asked Sarah what she has in common with her character Alison, what roles she’d like to try next and what advice she’d give her daughter.
“I don’t get a lot of chill out or relax time, but I love going to these gardens near my house, hanging at the beach, going on a date with my husband, having a drink with a girlfriend or a group of close friends, watching Vikings or getting some sleep. I miss sleep.”
Taylor Magazine: Give us a little intro into the life of Sarah Jones and tell us something we don’t know about you.
Sarah Jones: The life of Sarah Jones is pretty standard to most family women out there, I imagine – dirty diapers, dogs walks, dishes, dinner preparations (and all of the other domestic affiliated d-words out there). I just happen to have a unique job. Plus, I write with my left hand but I’m fairly ambidextrous.
Taylor Magazine: How did you first start out as an actress?
Sarah Jones: My dance agent asked me if I had ever thought about acting and linked me to a class. A little later he sent me on a random audition for an MTV improv show where I met an actor in the lobby who was in for something else. We started talking and he had asked if I had theatrical representation. When I told him I didn’t, he introduced me to his agent who became my agent for ten years. After a month of being at the agency I booked my first job with a co-star role and have been able to work steadily since. I got lucky.
Taylor Magazine: What’s your favourite thing about being an actress?
Sarah Jones: Trying to figure people out and understand how they use their circumstances in life to influence and educate them. And, let’s keep it real – depending on the job, the pay can be a perk as well.
Taylor Magazine: You’ve been in some of our favourite shows like Ugly Betty, Sons of Anarchy and Vegas. How has it been working on your latest project, HULU’s The Path?
Sarah Jones: It’s been a beautiful experience. There’s not one weak link in the entire production and the morale was high from start to wrap on set which is a rare gem. Alison’s scenes are few and far between, but every scene she has is significant in terms of her storyline so it required some emotional stamina and filling-in-the-blank-space work.
Taylor Magazine: Do you have anything in common with your character Alison?
Sarah Jones: In an abstract way, yes, and the realisation of it was on the plane ride home after I had wrapped. The two most prominent similarities I shared with Alison were feelings of isolation and being completely out of my comfort zone. Being a new mother with a baby, with a new job in New York City certainly wasn’t the bleak kind of situation Alison was in, but it wasn’t an easy ride. However, is anything that’s worth something in life an easy ride? If so, I have yet to be handed those keys. It was my most rewarding role.
Photographer/Artist (of the painting): Chris Cuseo http://cuseo.com |
Hair/Makeup: Kristee Liu
Taylor Magazine: How do you choose what roles you go for and which role have you found the most challenging?
Sarah Jones: I try and aim for a 180 degree character from the last character I played so I don’t get stagnant or pigeonhole myself. However, I’ll never turn down the opportunity to play a character that’s gritty and/or raw. I think that’s why I enjoyed playing Alison as much as I did – she never held back, she had nothing to lose. Despite her grief, she was in an incredibly liberating position. For the most challenging, I hate when there’s a lot of expositional dialogue – sometimes it’s necessary when there’s a little here and there in the story, but when it’s 90% of what your ‘character’ says? You’re not a character, you’re a news anchor for the story.
Taylor Magazine: What big lessons have you learnt so far as an actress and is there another career path you’d be interested in pursuing?
Sarah Jones: All you can do is all you can do. And there’s not really an MVP in a production as everyone is truly a necessity. However, if there were, make no mistake it’s the editors. I hope I’d have the guts to be a social worker for children in the foster care system, but I think in reality I’d be teaching dance.
Taylor Magazine: Are there any roles you’d really love to try next?
Sarah Jones: I’m pretty open, I don’t have a particular kind of role in mind at the moment. I’m completely obsessed with ‘Vikings’ – there’s not one character I’m not invested in which says a lot about the people involved in the production. So I guess if I could make up a dream character to play right now it’d be playing Lagertha’s long lost warrior sister? Katheryn Winnick is hands down THE most bad ass woman in television… and film, come to think of it.
Taylor Magazine: What’s a typical day for you? Run us through your routine!
Sarah Jones: My daughter’s waking and sleeping times and my furry daughter’s (yes, my dog is my furry daughter) walks – other than that, there’s really no routine, it’s a toss up!
Taylor Magazine: As a mother, what advice would you give to your daughter?
Sarah Jones: When I see that she’s about to trip over something because she’s not looking where she’s going, I’ll say to her, ‘Be aware,’ and she’ll usually look around her, step over or around whatever she was about to trip over, and keep herself from falling. I hope those words are tattooed on her subconscious by the time she goes to preschool. (And not to be confused with ‘beware’ which induces fear. To ‘be aware’ will empower her her entire life.)
