JESSE WHEELER
(Brandon)

Chasing down Jesse was a lot of fun!  See his cute baby face?  Mwah! (I just want to kiss him!) Jesse plays "Brandon", "Tyler Evans'" friend in ABC's "V" Pilot.  Jesse lives in Vancouver, Canada and as of this writing, is dating a beautiful girl named Rebecca. Jesse's Birthday: Dec. 24, 1981.  The Simpsons is his favorite TV show and Star Wars IV, V and VI are his favorite movies!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ILANA - MAY 13, 2009

IR:   Did you audition for your role in "V" or were you offered the part outright?
JW:  I auditioned for the the role. I actually had just arrived back home from Toronto. I got a call from my agent while I was on the plane. I had to read the next morning, as is mostly the case. You don't always get alot of notice for these auditions. I will say this. It was one the most fun auditions I have had.

IR:  Did you watch "V" when it originally aired in 1983-1985? If not, have you seen the two mini-series and series? If yes, what are your thoughts on the original vs. the new pilot script? If no, are you planning on watching the original in the near future?
JW:  I actually didn't watch the Original after being cast. I had planned on it but when we started working on the new script I felt like it stood up as its own world. And that watching the original strictly for reference wouldn't help me define my character any more strongly. I do plan on watching it though, I haven't seen it in years.

IR:   Please give insight into your "V" character. Example: does your character have any flaws or weaknesses.
JW:  I can't really give you any specifics about my character except to say that he is a pretty typical teenager. Eager to fit in and a sucker for the ladies.

IR:   How do you relate to your character in real life, if at all?
JW:  I can relate to him indeed. I think alot of people will be able to. We all have those moments where we wish we were cooler or different. I can tell you I have a strong affinity for him.

IR:  What was your average day like shooting "V?"
JW:  The average day on set for me was hanging out with my co-star Logan Huffman and just being awed by the amount of talent in the room. One of those gigs where you can't wait to get to set everyday. We were just so happy to be a part of it. We had a blast. Plus we got to work with Laura Vandervoort and she is quite lovely (to say the least.)

IR:  Please share anything funny (blooper-like) that's happened during your "V" shoot.
JW:  Well we would joke around alot between takes. When you are working these long days you have to try and keep a sense of humour. A friend of mine always told me to 'keep it loose' on set and I always try to do that. I guess no specific stories to speak of. We just had fun everyday.

IR:  How did you get into acting? If you could be anything other than an actor, what would you be?f
JW:  I actually got into acting because of my mother. She did alot when she was younger and participated in community theatre when I was a kid. My first show was Guys and Dolls in grade eleven. I was sixteen. In my hometown like many others the community theatre would put on a big musical every year. I would always try to be a part of it. I continued doing shows through high school. I did some regional dinner theatre in Western Canada. Once I moved to Calgary, Alberta I started doing some more serious theatre and basically fell in love all over again. I guess I started 'pursuing' around that time. I moved to Vancouver last year and have been very lucky to have gotten work and to have worked with such amazing people.
I suppose if I could be anything else I would like to be a singer, a musician. I think alot of actors say that haha. I can sing a little bit but I can't really play any instruments. I picked up guitar a while ago and I can play a few songs but thats it.

IR:  What were you interests when you were in school as opposed to now? Example: favorite subject or sport. Has that changed in time or still the same?
JW:  I think my interests in school haven't changed much. I used to drop courses like chemistry and biology to take extra drama courses. I wasn't the best student. I just wanted to act and act out. My focus was rarely on my studies. It was drama and sports back then. Girls were never much of a problem in high school. I was pretty green with girls. Still am. haha.

IR:  Who are your favorite book authors and musicians?
JW:   I am a huge non-fiction fan actually. I love reading autobiographies and biographies. Truth is always stranger than fiction. You read some of these stories and think that if someone wrote that for a movie it wouldnt be believed. I find other people's lives fascinating.

As for music, I listen to anything and everything. I love the White Stripes, and I am huge fan of Martin Sexton. His song 'Black Sheep' made me finally pick up and move to Vancouver. The Tragically Hip, The Band, any Motown, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker. The list goes on and on. My all time favourite band is still Guns and Roses. I like older music I guess you could say. Music today is mostly bullshit. There are some great bands don't get me wrong. But it all seems to be rehashing old trends and sounds. Not many bands doing anything new. .

IR:   Has anyone ever given you advice when you were a child that's stuck with you forever? If so, what was the advice?
JW:  "All you can do is your best." I try to tell myself that every time I walk in the audition room.