Get used to California-based actor Jake Satow because he is here to stay! You may know Jake from his roles in the HULU miniseries “The Dropout” or “Gaslit,” a political thriller based on the Watergate scandal. Jake’s talent radiates off the T.V screen and has earned him parts opposite actors like William H. Macy and Amanda Seyfried. Not only is Jake taking over the entertainment industry one role at a time, but he is also heavily involved in humanitarian work. Currently, Jake works with the Ronald McDonald House, where he prepares and delivers food to sick children. If you are interested in his work with the Ronald McDonald House, his latest roles, or his next steps in the industry, please continue reading below!

Where are you based?
I’m currently in Burbank, California and I’m from Columbus, Ohio.

What inspired you to get into acting?
I always loved performing and started in theatre when I was about four years old. I kind of first fell in love with acting in New York City, watching Disney’s Lion King and Newsies on stage on Broadway. I was really little, and my mom said I tried to climb over the seats to get on the stage! After that, I performed often in our local community theatre, and there I learned to love working with other actors and giving the best performance possible. Not long after, I booked my first commercial. I decided film was my calling and just did everything I could to learn everything imaginable about film. I took a lot of acting classes and singing classes in both New York and LA. I have been working hard ever since! I love all the energy on a set, meeting new people and just being part of a team of people who are all working together. I love making new friends on set. And it’s even better when you can meet up and work with people you’ve worked with before, people who love what they do.

Can you tell us a bit about your recent role in the HULU mini-series “The Dropout”?
I got to play young Christian Holmes, who is the main character’s, younger brother. She is Elizabeth Holmes, played by Amanda Seyfried. Christian worked for her company and was by her side through many of her experiences. They shared the experience of having their parents lose their job as kids, and that becomes one of the life changing moments for Elizabeth in the series.

What is the premise of the series?
“The Dropout” is based on a true story about the rise and dramatic fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the first young, female, self made billionaire. Elizabeth was the founder of Theranos, an exciting new company that was supposed to create cutting edge medical technology that would change the world. As I mentioned, Elizabeth is played by Amanda Seyfried, my older sister in the series. She manages to convince many powerful and influential people to support Theranos. She convinces them to provide huge resources to get the company launched and later on to keep it afloat, despite some pretty questionable technology and shady activities all going on while at the same time she insists Theranos is a success.

You play Christian Holmes, can you tell us a bit about him? Do you see any part of yourself in the character?
Christian Holmes is Elizabeth’s younger brother. He is sarcastic and athletic and stays by her side kind of throughout the whole ordeal when they are older. I probably wouldn’t want to be too similar to him in real life, because his character is kind of a jerky character! But we are similar in that we are both athletic, we are both dedicated to our family, and we both look a lot like our sibling!

What do you think it would have been like to be Elizabeth Holmes’ brother? What do you think of her story?
I think it would have been exciting to be her brother at first because in the beginning she and the company appeared to be so successful. But there is a lot of family drama and of course work drama that eventually unfolds, and I think that would have been very hard to be wrapped up in. I love true stories. This story is really unique because it follows Elizabeth’s meteoric rise to power and her success and rapid fall. It’s a fascinating story because it all really happened! It’s so timely, because the real life trial just took place last summer. There was a podcast and even a book written about her story.

What is it like working with such seasoned actors as William H. Macy and Amanda Seyfried? Do they give you any valuable industry advice?
This cast was incredible. William Macy, Amanda Seyfried, Michel Gill, and Elizabeth Marvel were all really amazing to work with and learn from and just be around on the set of “The Dropout”. I felt so fortunate to be able to work around actors so committed to their craft. They were all very generous with their time. I really appreciated that. They helped me feel both confident and comfortable on set. Amanda Seyfried in particular told me to always be kind to everyone and she gave me other advice which I will never forget. She was amazing to work with. So present for everyone and so kind.

You also star in “Gaslit”, a series based on the Watergate Scandal. Do you enjoy films based on a true story?
Yes! They are my favorite! “Gaslit” also just dropped recently on STARZ, and it’s a really cool series based on a true story, too. It’s also based on the fall of a true person — President Nixon and the Watergate scandal in the 70’s. It stars Sean Penn and Julia Roberts. I loved being on this set and being around all the cool 70’s cars, costumes, and props!

Jejune also loves that you are a humanitarian? What was it like working with the Ronald McDonald House preparing and serving families in need during the holiday season?
I volunteer every year at the Ronald McDonald House. It’s honestly my favorite organization because its mission is to serve families of children who are in the hospital with serious medical conditions. I helped prepare meals and delivered food and supplies to the Ronald McDonald House, and we also served families their meals during their stay there.

What made you decide to partner with the Ronald McDonald House?
There’s just such a need. They are a home away from home really that provides support and resources to families whose children require medical care. They also have mobile programs in many communities that bring medical, dental, and health care services to underserved communities.

Why is it so vital for you to aid families suffering from food scarcity? What have you witnessed while delivering food to local food pantries?
So I also worked at local food pantries this year, not only in my community, but also for families in Ukraine. My sister and I brought medical supplies to our local collection site and donated everything from bandages to blankets to medicines. Working in the community, I’ve worked with many homeless people to provide food. There is a huge need in many communities for food pantry volunteers. It’s so vital to so many people and families.

There was a lot of food scarcity during the pandemic, were you able to help out during this time?
Yes, a lot of the volunteering I did was last spring and fall in the local food pantries during the pandemic.

How did you stay positive during covid?
Oh that was tough for so many people. It was hard not seeing friends and family as much as I wanted. I know that was also true for a lot of people my age. Volunteering, doing what I could to help other people really helped take my mind off of it. Also, keeping sharp with online acting classes and auditions helped a lot. We also played a lot of euchre, card games, and did a lot of puzzling in our house to pass the time!

Do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with Jejune?
Yes, in addition to “The Dropout” and “Gaslit” series coming out now, over the summer, “Adeline” a feature film I’m in, will start streaming in July. It’s a story about a healing horse who performs miracles in a small, midwestern town, also a true story! I play Jason, who has a love interest with one of the characters who is healed by Adeline the horse, and my character also has a special relationship with Adeline. Then at the holidays, I have a Christmas movie coming out called, “Saving Christmas Spirit”. I play the character, Finn, and I’m paired up with a female rugby player. The film was shot in Scotland, and it’s full of Christmas magic!

What is your motto in life?
Well, my parents taught me to be kind, to work hard, and avoid negative people and situations, which is true and good advice. But I would say, work hard. Just really do the work. Come prepared. Research. Follow your dreams, and be ready when opportunity meets preparation!

To keep up with Jake, please follow him on the platforms below:
Instagram: @jakesatow_official
iMDB: @jakesatow_official

Photography by Lilly K Photography.

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