Actor, author, supreme body builder and trainer, based in New York City, has been extremely busy, focusing on several unique and fascinating projects. Proud of his a new series that he has developed entitled, "What's Cooking Grandma", a show that will concentrate on grandmas from all backgrounds, and how to improve their recipes to make them healthier. Also in the works is a children's book series on keeping their bodies healthy. Another project he is producing is called, "Take Back Your Life", which focuses on helping people become fit.
Finney, originally from Montreal, Canada, has appeared on several television shows including: "Gotham", "Zero Hour", and "Daredevil", as well as films such as Source Code"," Gothika", starring Halle Berry, and Timeline. He has also appeared off Broadway in "Gym Shorts".
Aside from his acting career, Jasson is a personal trainer. I spoke with him about his endeavors, and found him to be a blast.....one of the nicest guys ever!
Tell me something about yourself.
I'm the son of a cancan girl and a bull rider, who got married on an ice castle in the Yukon, after having known each other for two weeks. My dad was one of the first Marlboro men in the 50’s. He was a bull rider, a rodeo cowboy.
Well you certainly had an interesting start. So tell me about "What's cooking Grandma".
It's show I put together celebrating grandmas more than anything. To me there was nobody more important in my life than my grandmother. My mom was a music teacher so I would spend my days with my grandma when I was still too young to go to school, and when I went to school I would go to my grandma's for lunch. I would go back to her place after school. She was just my idol. I dedicated this show all about my grandmother. It's interesting because I have a little clip of her and I in the intro.
How cute!
Yeah, she was adorable. We would do things when I was a kid, like every day she would buy me hockey cards. Grandmothers aren't the same as they were back then. They are more like "where are my stilettos".
You've appeared in many different films and TV shows?
I've been in a bunch of things. I've got one thing coming out at the end of the week actually on April 29. It starts on Netflix. It's a movie called, "Small Crimes", I play a character called Vlad. I did a movie with Daniel Radcliffe called, "Imperiam", that's been out for a little while. I've done "Person of Interest", "Gotham", I did "Daredevil".
So you get around?
Yeah, I've been around. I tend to get hired because of my appearance to do the heavy gigs. I want to play the nice guy, the guy who owns a flower shop, and sells flowers to grandma's.
You have that bad-ass look, good luck with that.
Maybe at night I could be a vigilante. Especially now with all these people popping up in the Trump administration. Those people all look like me now. I came to the conclusion a while ago that for me to get anywhere in this business, at a higher level, I have to create my own work and my own projects. So that's when I started with the, "What's Cooking Grandma". I have it as a pilot and I'm looking to sell it right now. I'm looking to get it going. That show is where I visit grandmas from different ethnic groups, and they share their recipes with me. We get together, and I try to make it a little healthier. They normally don't like that, messing with the recipe, so little grandmother gets irritated. We make the meal, she's all happy with the meal, and we celebrate it with her family. I'm really excited about a book deal that I've gotten. When I was in Virginia I met someone in a publishing company, and we took it from there. He loved my concept, and I created three kids books. It's basically books to help kids become fit and healthy, and empower themselves to make the right decisions. I'm really, really excited about that project. And the cool thing about it is it's going to be a series release. That's really rare for a first time author. They don't get three books in one shot. They are chapter books, about 100 pages for kids of different ages 7 to 11. Because there were so many illustrations in the books the younger ones will definitely love the books. They have beautiful illustrations. We are hoping that the parents will bring them to the younger kids or that the older kids read them to the younger siblings. Illustrations are important. We are such a visual society. We have such a short attention span with all the social media and stuff. You have to entice the senses. Visual is such an important one. They are set to come out in 2018.
What else do you have going on?
I'm involved in a start up show called, "Treadwater". We've gone to, Comicon three years in a row. That's from the guy from "The Walking Dead", Chad Coleman. He was one of the main characters and they killed him off, and now he's one of the exec producers. It's a very interesting storyline about the decline of the euro. The euro has crashed and there are two factions fighting to decide how Europe is now going to work.
Wait, I think that's really happening, just ask London.
I know. This concept is like four years old. I play a character called, Lock Jaw, commander of the evil forces. We are called, "The Children of Chaos". I'm very excited about that project, we hope that, that one flies.
How many days a week do you go to the gym?
I train every second day. I also train people too. I enjoy doing that and I've been doing that for a very long time. It's also why I created this program for the kids. I believe the kids are lacking role models. When I grew up I had Captain Kangaroo, Mister Rodgers, I had actual human beings. Real people to look up to. They don't have that today. It's all about a cartoon or some app....Are you married to a musician?
I was a few husbands ago.
When they first came to New York I was a musician. That's why I first came to New York. I play the drums. Back in the day we played everywhere. We played at the Bitter End, CBGB'S, we played The Limelight.... You could play anywhere in the city in every time you played it was a showcase. We came down from Canada with a video that was already getting recognition in Canada. Then it got some attention down here. Then we got a manager who got a spec deal, and that got us more buzz. I remember backstage at CBGB's there was actually roaches.
What was the name of your band?
At the time it was called The Hidden Persuaders. We didn't go anywhere because we were two hidden. It was fun because it got us out there, we got to know the city, we met people. Back then in 1990, the city wasn't as friendly as it was today.
Is there anything else that you want to promote for yourself?
The personal training is something that I'm doing right now too, so you can look at my website.
Find out more about Jasson:
What's Cooking Grandma'? 'http://youtu.be/Ks182531glE Demo "Take Back You Life" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Wr43-GpjY&feature=youtu.be http://marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com/wiki/Jasson_Finney
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1065239/?ref_=nv_sr_1 https://pro-labs.imdb.com/name/nm1065239?ref_=nm_nv_usr_pro
Training Website www.bodybyjasson.com