Going on-camera runs in the family for the 2014 Upper St. Clair High School grade Jared Scott. His mother is Lori Houy, a longtime air reporter for WPXI-TV.
“I know she’s particular about her hair, so I adopted her from her,” Scott said in a recent phone interview. He is currently starring in Amazon Prime Video’s winning half-hour comedy “The Lake,” now streaming. It is Scott’s most high-profile series to date.
The show marks Amazon’s first original Canadian series. “The Lake” focuses on gay boy boy Justin (Jordan Gavaris, “Black Orphan”), who returns from Australia to reunite with Billie (Madison Shamoun), the biological girl who gave up for adoption and is now a teenager. . Justin plans to spend the summer with Billie on a lake where his family would have a home. He then discovers that his sister (Julia Stiles) is living at home with her family, including son Killian, played by Scott, whose abs-forward entrance catches Billie’s attention.
A cross between “Schitt’s Creek” (Justin brings to mind David Rose) and “Gilmore Girls” (there are some Lorelai-Rory genes in the Justin-Billie relationship), “The Lake” is an easy, breezy, fun summer watch.
Other characters make jokes at Killian’s expense – Justin calls him “Aberzombie” – but he is the most called of the regular series.
“He’s just a simple, gentle, good-hearted man who really enjoys hanging out in nature,” Scott said. “I think he was looking for love that summer.”
Scott said he landed the role in July 2021 following the addition of a new method of auditioning in a covid world: Self-tape. Players tape themselves at home with a friend reading a dialogue to other characters.
“I think it could have been a week or two where I didn’t hear anything and then I heard I got a chemical reading,” Scott said, explaining that chemical reading is when one player is usually in a room with another player so producers can get a sense of what kind of chemistry they both have. “But since it was covid, we had to do the chemistry read on Zoom.”
Two hours later Scott heard that he had booked the role and three days later Scott was flying to the set in North Bay, Ontario, a four-hour drive north of Toronto.
Scott, who was known as Jared Houy when he was growing up, was not involved in the USC theater program but became interested in acting after a role as an extra featured in Will Smith’s 2015 film “Concussion.”
While studying animation and visual effects at Point Park University, Scott began modeling, entered a “Price is Right” male modeling contest and made it into the Top 5. This led to a move to L.A. and enrolled in acting classes and roles in 2017. Ion’s Christmas movie “A Christmas Cruise”, 2018 Lifetime movie “The Wrong Friend” and the 2018 Facebook Watch series “Turnt.”
Next up is “Monsters of California,” directed by Blink-182 co-founder Tom DeLong. Scott plays a skater who investigates paranormal events. The film has no distribution yet.
“I used to play punk skater with a very ratty look with my hair all grown up,” Scott said. “That was one thing Tom DeLong told me to do as I booked that: ‘Just don’t cut your hair.'”
Scott, whose brother Gabe Houy is an offensive lineman for the University of Pittsburgh football team, has tried to get acting jobs on projects he is filming in Pittsburgh. He was a finalist for a role in “American Rust,” but failed.
“My mother told me that Christian Bale was the town shooting something [‘The Pale Blue Eye’] and so I really badgered my manager about that,” he said, “so I still keep an eye out for different things.”
Meanwhile, Scott expects word of a second-season pickup for “The Lake,” which looks set to have to come soon if producers plan to film another summer season.
“That’s what we assume,” Scott said, “because those North Bay leaves, change quickly.”
Lee Daniels’ Netflix horror thriller currently filming in Pittsburgh has a new title – “The Deliverance” instead of “Demon House” – and some additional cast members: Omar Epps, Miss Lawrence, Demi Singleton and Anthony B. Jenkins.
The production also looks for paid extras for class scenes in Wilkinsburg, children between 8 and 11 (August 8) and 16-25 (August 8 and 9). She pays $ 175 for 12 hours. For more information or to apply, visit airtable.com/shrpvjMkd0NeZuqZH.
As rival “Sharkfest” on National Geographic Chanel, Nat Geo Wild and Disney XD continues in August, Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” returns at 7 p.m. Sunday for his 34th season and his first with a master of ceremonies, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Highlights / lowlights of the 25 hours of new programming include “Jackass Shark Week 2.0” (9 p.m. Sunday), featuring Johnny Knoxville and his co-stars “Jackass”; “Spectacular Impractical Jokers Shark Week” (8 p.m. July 26) and “Tracy Morgan Presents: Sharks! With Tracy Morgan” (8 p.m. July 28).
FX renewed “The Bear” for the second season and “Breeders” for the fourth go-around.
Peacock’s renewed anthology series “Dr. Death ”for the second season featuring a new story and a new cast.
Showtime’s “Desus Mero” takes place after the comedy partners broke up to pursue “separate creative efforts,” according to the network.
HBO Max canceled the animated comedy “Close Enough” after three seasons.
Paramount + ordered a 10-episode “Criminal Minds” revival with cast members Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Paget Brewster and Kirsten Vangsness return. (Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney will not be back.)
Charleroi native Craig McCracken is developing reboots of his animated series “The Powerpuff Girls” and “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” with Cartoon Network. … When “Dancing with the Stars” moves from ABC to Disney + this fall, Tyra Banks will return as a host along with new co-host Alfonso Ribeiro (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”). … The horribly mentioned GAC Family, an upstart rival of the Hallmark Channel, will be given the name of the most enjoyable Great American Family next month. … Netflix lost 970,000 subscribers in the second quarter of 2022, surpassing its own estimates, and the service plans to introduce a lower price level supported by an advertisement in early 2023.
You can reach out to TV writer Rob Owen at rowen@triblive.com or 412-380-8559. Follow Rob on Twitter or Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your name and location.
