Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty
Armani Jacksonis on a wild ride.
Of getting to work alongside Gellar, Jackson exclusively tells PEOPLE: “She’s the best.”
“There’s no advice she didn’t offer us. From the day she stepped on set, she had conversations with each of us and she wanted to let us know that she knows what it’s like to be a young adult series regular on a supernatural show,” he continues. “She’s been lucky enough to be in basically our exact position because she wanted us to, off the bat, just know that she’s here for us.”
Gellar, 45, played Buffy Summers in the famed showBuffy the Vampire Slayerfrom 1997-2003. Now, she stars inWolf Packas investigator Kristin Ramsey in addition to her role as executive producer.
Steve Dietl/Paramount+
“She’s been guiding us through this whole production the entire way. Having her is a complete blessing, especially on the producer side,” adds Jackson. “It’s kind of insane to have her as a mentor on a set like that.”
As for Jackson’s own “anxious” character, Everett, the bridge between role and reality was easier to make than he first expected.
“I think I resonated with that part of the character when I saw that he was an anxious kid. I was like, ‘Oh, this is great.’ It’s a very common thing that a lot of people deal with, but you still don’t see that as much in characters, especially auditioning,” theGrey’s Anatomyalum explains. “So when I saw that, I kind of sat up from my chair and I was like, ‘Oh, I think I want this role because I don’t think I’m going to have to do too much acting.'”
And, while Jackson admits that Everett has a penchant for getting himself into trouble, he jokes that he possesses a little more “self-awareness” in real life.
“He knows what those fans want, and I think he knows that they sometimes wanted to see a show with a little more maturity to it,” Jackson says.
“And number two, I think for the werewolves. It’s the next werewolf show! You got to find them somewhere,” he adds with a laugh.
Jackson’s older sister, Talia, 21, is also an actor, having starred in Netflix’sFamily Reunionfor three seasons. He says watching her has already taught him “a lot” about the industry.
“Just the work ethic alone, I mean, having to work that much and be on set that much and be on that much is definitely something that you have to prepare for,” he says of his sister. “And watching her do that for so many years helped me get ready for my moment for sure.”
Jackson’s “moment” also includes a budding music career. His song “Drain” is due out Feb. 17.
He is also working on his family’s nonprofit, Beautiful Minds 999, which helps educate people on alternative treatments for mental health and drug addiction.
“My sister had a loved one who passed away a year ago, and that was kind of the final thing that made us really want to start the foundation,” explains Jackson.
As for his plans for the future, Jackson hopes to one day star in a Marvel movie. “I think it’d be cool to play Miles Morales, maybe cameo withTom Holland,” he says of his love for the Spiderman universe.
But for now, Jackson keeps himself busy, still thinking back to that nine-year-old boy inCooties.
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“I’ve always had a thing for the horror genre, and I think that’s when it really sparked me. I was like, ‘Wait, I want to do this forever,'” he says. “And so being able to now, as an adult, be on a horror show is full circle for me.”
New episodes ofWolf Packhit Paramount+ on Thursdays!
source: people.com
