Mason Blomberg is living his dream as the co-star of the upcoming series JANE on Apple TV + streaming April 14th. This young actor is not just acting in the Jane Goodall inspired series, he is also using his platform to teach inspire others about the importance of conservation. I am excited to have the opportunity to share with you this interview about Mason’s new series!
Thank you for this interview! Your new series JANE on Apple TV+ is inspired by the work of Jane Goodall. Did you know anything about Jane Goodall before you started work on the show?
Yes, I knew a good number of facts about Jane Goodall, and I had read one of her biographies. I knew she studied chimps and that she was working to protect the environment. Even before I booked the role David I looked up to Jane Goodall and she was my idol. I have always loved saving the environment. and protecting animals. A fun fact is that her favorite chimpanzee is named David Greybeard and my character is named David after him!
What was the audition process for this role?
We auditioned for this show in the middle of Covid, so all of my auditions were virtual. For the first audition, I had to self-tape a couple of scenes and answer a personality question, “If you could be any animal what would you be?” I said I would be an Owl because it is my favorite animal – they are thought of as being wise and also a real “hoot”! 😉 The callback was another self-tape. The Final step was a mix-and-match Test Deal where I went on zoom and performed scenes with various other actors who were the final picks for Jane. I later found out that there were thousands of kids who auditioned for the role of David! I still have to pinch myself that this is real life, and I actually booked my dream job!
This series was filmed over the course of a year. What was the shooting schedule like?
The filming schedule was very intense! We filmed 5 days a week, full days every day. Every day when I got home I had just enough time to eat dinner and memorize my lines for the next day, then go to bed. But filming is my favorite thing in the world, so I loved it!
Can you tell us about some of the amazing places you traveled to when filming this series?
Every place we filmed at was amazing because they were all so unique and I got to learn about so many different environments and the animals there. But my top pick would be Kenya, Africa! There were so many animals there including monkeys, zebras, lions, tigers, elephants, gazelles, giraffes, and more! We even went on two safaris that were super cool! One of the best experiences there was when I got to meet the last two living Northern White Rhinos. It was really emotional when the guide was talking about how there would be no more after these two died. But this is also a good reminder of why we need this show and the teachings of Dr. Jane Goodall to help inspire others to make a difference to keep this from happening to more species.
Were you able to interact with any real animals and if so, what one was your favorite?
Yes, I was able to work with a cat and a dog. They were both SO cute and I loved it! But Dr Jane Goodall encourages people not to make contact with wild animals because it can negatively impact them. Because of this, most of the animals are CGI animation. You can barely tell the animals aren’t real because the CGI artists did such a good job
Photo Credit: Apple TV+
. Tell us your favorite memory from filming.
The entire process was amazing but if I had to choose, I would probably choose meeting all of the extremely kind people. I have such good relationships with all of the cast and crew. For example, the director, J.J. Johnson, was so much fun. We always make each other laugh. My co-star, Ava Louis, and I became such good friends and always entertained each other on set. For example, we loved making Tik Tok skits and dances. Another co-star, Tamara, became like an aunty to me and I nicknamed her Tia Tam. She is so kind. Of course, another amazing part of this series is that we got to travel the world to film it! We filmed in Toronto, Kenya, Africa, Costa Rica, Alberta, and Catalina Island. I loved seeing the different environments and learning about the animals that live in them.
While you were shooting you had to balance work and school. How did you do it?
Well, we had set school on set, and I was required to do 3 hours of school every day on set. This actually left plenty of time to get my schoolwork in. I normally attend a public school but had to do a home school program for the year we filmed. My set teacher, Alix, was awesome so she made the schooling so much fun!
Fun Question–If you could be any animal what would you be and why?
I would be a owl because who doesn’t want to fly? They also they have powerful talons and I think it would be amazing to be such an interesting species. Plus, it would just be a HOOT!
Please tell us where we follow you and your adventures!
Follow me on Instagram at TheMasonBlomberg and my website www.MasonBlomberg.com
Thank You!!
Photo Credit: Shandon Youngclaus