Our latest digital cover for Popternative Magazine features actor and musician Maxwell Jenkins who stars as Cade Halloran in Prime Video’s new action-comedy-horror series, The Bondsman.
The series, which premiered on April 3, stars Kevin Bacon as a backwoods bountry hunter who comes back from the dead with an unexpected second chance at life, love, and a nearly-forgotten musical career. He soon comes to realize that his old past job now has a demonic new twist.
In our exclusive chat with our cover star, Maxwell goes into detail about auditioning for The Bondsman, the musical component to his role, and working on a series that blends music and horror alongside Kevin Bacon. He also tells us about bringing experiences from his past roles such as Netflix’s Lost in Space and the apocalyptic thriller Arcadian starring Nicolas Cage to this new role.
Photos for Popternative Magazine by Cathryn Farnsworth Photography
What was your audition process like for your role in The Bondsman?
Maxwell Jenkins (MJ): I auditioned with the scenes and I added a clip of me playing music. I used footage with my band The 529s, playing both Mandolin and Guitar. They called me back to have a meeting with Kevin and Eric Oleson (The Show runner) We clicked right away. And the rest is history.
Did you have to play music as part of the audition process at all? If so, which songs?
MJ: I did play music as part of my audition. It wasn’t an absolute requirement, but it was suggested and I jumped at the chance. I played music I love to listen to, nothing from the show. But because my musical taste leans pretty heavily on folk, there was a lot of common ground. I played Wagon Wheel, By and By (Camp) and some traditional old time folk songs on the mandolin.
What’s it like being part of a project that blends horror elements with music?
MJ: The Bondsman blends so many things I love in one project. The music element was really important to me. I had never been able to play music as part of a show with other actors before so it’s pretty awesome. The music instantly bonded the cast. Music tends to bring people together, it’s what I love about it. In this case it was no different. In terms of combining music and horror together, I’m looking forward to exploring that crossover more if we get a season 2. Fingers crossed.
What learning experiences did you take from your past projects like Lost in Space and Arcadian to The Bondsman?
MJ: Every project I have ever worked on has provided invaluable lessons. It’s hard to pinpoint one specifically. If I had to, Lost in Space gave me the experience of working on a series with a showrunner and writers that had a specific vision. I learned how to advocate for my character in that arena and that was probably the most valuable lesson I learned.
MJ: Arcadian gave me an immense amount of confidence in my ability to collaborate with iconic artists. I think working with Nicolas Cage, and him being so open and generous about the work, allowed me to approach Kevin in the same way. Kevin is unbelievably supportive and generous as well. After my experience on Arcadian, I felt more comfortable going to him with ideas or riffs on my mandolin. I’ve been really lucky in this industry. I’ve worked with some of the best actors at the top of their games and it has been like having a masterclass everyday.
What was it like both working and jamming with Kevin Bacon?
MJ: Kevin is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. He is open to collaboration. He brings 110% to set every day, and because he brings his best, it creates the environment where everyone else wants to bring their best. I was blown away at how open he was to my ideas. I remember one day I got a text from him telling me to come up with some ideas for a solo on my mandolin. I worked up some options and he really advocated for me to have opportunities to play myself. He was so approachable and open from the very first time I met him. I appreciate that about him.
Were there any specific horror movies you watched or music you listened to in order to prepare for your role?
MJ: I’m a big horror fan. I watch anything and everything in the genre. There wasn’t anything specific I watched to prepare me for this project, but I did find myself in a Blumhouse movie-a-thon after I was initially cast. I love the work they do and I am excited to be working with them. To prepare me for filming, I usually default to music. I start by creating a playlist for the character. This was a fun one to create because so much of the music in the show, and the tone are artists and music that I already listen to. Fun fact: I always create a playlist for the character, then burn it to vinyl so I can pop on a record and be instantly transported back to the set. I’ve done this for every show I have worked on and Cade’s Playlist is awesome. I listen to it still.
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The Bondsman is now streaming on Prime Video
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