Jon-Erik Doesn’t Cover-Up A Thing In This Revealing Interview!
16: There’s a lot going on in your life now, Jon-Erik between The Bear and TV’s Cover -Up series. What’s Cover-Up about?
Jon-Erik Hexum: It’s an action/intrigue show with a lot of comedy and romance. I play Marines Special Forces agent Mac Harper - like a Green Beret. He’s a super soldier and he can do practically anything. He’ll to on special missions to break out prisoners of war and generally, take dangerous assignments. There are big stunt with helicopters and stuff like that. Real action-packed.
16: What’s your character like?
Jon-Erik Hexum: Mac is incorrigible. He doesn’t listen to his sergeant and he likes to do things his own way - a rather unorthodox way, I might add. Eventually they kick him out because he won’t straighten up but before they do, he models in an advertisement for the Marines.
16: Ah, this is where the plot takes in interesting turn.
Jon-Erik Hexum: right. Modeling agencies spot him, send him around the world and he becomes real successful. He’s still sort of a bad boy though. Then the CIA figures they can use this guy - he travels all over, he’s got a great cover and knows all the ropes. The CIA assigns actress Jennifer O’Neill, a big-time photographer, as a contact and they work together as a spy team.
16: Where does the romance fit in?
Jon-Erik Hexum: I’m always hanging out with girls in the series, Jennifer and I don’t have a romantic relationship - we’re friends, but there is the slightest hint...
16: Cover-Up isn’t your first series or course, Voyager! was.
Jon-Erik Hexum: Yeah, I was pretty disappointed when it was canceled though I knew it was coming - but now it’s in syndication.
16: Did it prove a good experience, though?
Jon-Erik Hexum: It sure did! When I first shot Voyagers! I had no idea what was going on and I have to admit, I lied my head off to get by. I didn’t even know what a close-up was. The camera was there and I’d say ‘What are we doing?’ and Meeno Peluce would answer, ‘We’re doing a close-up idiot.’ He’s unbelievable - I still see him now and then.
16: There must’ve been a lot to learn about TV - and film - work. How did you deal with shooting out of sequence?
Jon-Erik Hexum: Even though you’re not acting in the order of the events, you just get it going somehow. You’d better have read your script and know what your doing to get into it. When we were filming my first movie The Bear, for instance - I play a quarterback for Bear Bryant, the legendary football coach - the first thing we shot was my dying scene.
16: Obviously, you’ve been very busy with your career. What about on the person front?
Jon-Erik Hexum: Well, I just moved from Venice, California, to a house in the San Fernando Valley. It’s a nice - a three-bedroom ranch - style with palm trees in the backyard. Quite a change for a guy from Tenafly, New Jersey!
16: Do you have any friends who are also in show business?
Jon-Erik Hexum: I know John Stamos pretty well - he’s a real nice guy, oh and Tony Danza too. Things are different when you get out of college though - you don’t hang out as much. I work and travel a lot so I have a lot of friends that I see a little.
16: Is there anything you’d like to say to your friends reading 16?
Jon-Erik Hexum: Sure is!