Jason Greene
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Jason Greene | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 2, 1988 Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Los Angeles County High School for the Arts |
| Known for | Acting |
| Notable work | The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo |
Jason Greene (born February 2, 1988)[1][non-primary source needed], also known as Freckle or Aunt Freckle, is an American actor and internet personality. [2] They are known for their role in the YouTube web series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo as Freckle, a character known for delivering witty one-liners in a deadpan tone.[3] They have also appeared in Search Party and Everything Is Free.[4]
Early life and education
[edit]Greene grew up with several half-siblings.[5] They developed a passion for acting at a young age, often performing scenes with their older sister.[5] Even in Catholic middle school, Greene sought acting roles, such as playing Jesus in a production of The Last Supper.[2]
When Greene auditioned for the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, they lacked formal acting training, unlike many other applicants.[5] They self-taught two monologues for their audition and were accepted at age 14.[2][3][5] They befriended artists such as pop artist Kesha and spent time backstage at various performances at venues like Spaceland and Echo.[3] After graduation, Greene met Brian Jordan Alvarez and encouraged Alvarez to create his popular internet videos, including skits such as "What Actually Happens When Gay Guys See Other Gay Guys and Straight People Aren't Around".[3]
Around graduation, Greene received the Emerging Young Artist Award, which included a scholarship from the state of California. They used this scholarship to study at studios including Groundlings, Meisner, and with the Alexander Technique.[5]
Initially, Greene had a strong stage presence but felt uncomfortable on camera.[5]
At one point, Greene received a substantial sum of money and took a year off from working, but eventually ran out of funds.[5]
Career
[edit]Greene has said that during high school and the early stages of their career, they were confident about their future success, citing their prestigious school and award.[5][6] When a visual artist working on a documentary about Greene's life quit the project, they reportedly told Greene to "let [their] delusions fuel [them]," which Greene interpreted as advice to believe in the impossible to achieve success.[6] Greene also mentions the works of Esther Hicks as a source of confidence.[6]
Early in their career, Greene felt their queerness hindered their ability to get roles.[2] They struggled to find television roles as a gay person, as their image didn't fit the networks' perception of Middle America.[5] In frustration, they performed a joke audition for American Idol, singing "I Touch Myself".[5] This performance aired nationally, with a clip used in a Super Bowl commercial.[5] The clip also appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Greene was interviewed about it on Fox News.[5]
Following this, Greene successfully auditioned for commercials for Doritos, PlayStation, and Magnum Ice Cream; however, the PlayStation ad never aired, and Greene's performance was cut from the Magnum Ice Cream commercial.[5]
After years of relative obscurity, Greene achieved internet success.[2] Their role in The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo is considered their breakthrough role;[2] Memes on the blogging website Tumblr contributed to their rising popularity.[7] Greene has since appeared in films, television, music videos, and internet videos, occasionally playing trans characters.[2]
Greene currently partners with Fluide Beauty, a cosmetics company targeting people of all genders, starring in a miniseries called Freckle Goes Fluide.[8] Greene also collaborates with the visual journalism site Damn Joan, hosting "Ask Aunt Freckle".[9]
While Greene has been getting more roles recently, they have stated they would be content remaining an internet personality.[7] Their main goal is visibility, regardless of whether major networks feature LGBTQ+ characters.[7]
Greene maintains a close relationship with their fans, frequently communicating through the social media platform Instagram. Fans from diverse backgrounds have connected with Greene online, an experience they describe as "incredible".[7]
Personal life
[edit]Greene identifies as genderfluid. They have identified as genderfluid for as long as they can remember and do not feel discomfort with their body but have a "meta" experience with their gender.[2] Having been raised by socially liberal parents, Greene always felt free to express themselves femininely.[2] Greene's performance on American Idol generated comments that revealed the diverse social climates across America.[2] They aim to be a visible example of genderfluidity.
Greene previously used the pronoun "it," both reclaiming a derogatory term for trans people and referencing so-called "it girls".[5] On social justice issues, they prefer open dialogue.[3] Religiously, Greene connects with Buddhism, Zen, and Daoism.[6] They studied chakras while working on emotional availability to improve their acting.[5]
Freckle
[edit]The name Freckle originated as a joking stripper name created by Greene.[6] Greene revived the name at their first drag show, when asked if they did drag by a performer.[6] Greene explains the inspiration behind the name as "a freckle in space is a star".[6] Greene appreciates the name's gender-neutral quality.[5] Initially a pet name, Freckle and the character have become integrated into Greene's identity.[3][7]
The Freckle persona was conceived by Greene as an act for clubs and shows.[3] Freckle was envisioned as a modern flapper, with a gender role reversal: instead of short hair and trousers, Greene's version is a boy with long hair wearing a skirt.[6] Greene also wanted Freckle to be perceived as someone who quickly rose to fame from humble beginnings, similar to Joan Crawford.[6] Freckle was further developed at the Groundlings improv comedy school as a circus runaway.[3] Over time, the character has evolved alongside Greene.[3]
Greene describes Freckle as a "kind of… vaudeville, smoky, chanteuse, courtesan-concubine, you know, mistress of the dark, Silver Lake lady-boy" inspired by both their grandmother's elegance and her "boozy, floozy" personality.[3] Greene also cites singers and silver screen actresses like Judy Garland, Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford as inspirations.[7] Additionally, Greene describes Freckle as a quirky aunt often with a martini in hand.[5] The character is mainly known from Greene's performance in the web series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, but their first appearance in one of Alvarez's videos is in "When Your Gender Fluid Friend Gets More Attention from Straight Guys Than You".[3]
Filmography and videography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dealing With Dana | Guy on Street |
| 2017 | Anything | Evelyn |
| 2017 | Everything Is Free | Eli |
| 2019 | Bagdad, Florida | We'wha |
| 2019 | Wine Country | Freckle |
| 2020 | Cicada | Theresa |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | American Idol | Self |
| 2014 | Complete Works | Giorgio |
| 2016 | The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo | Freckle |
| 2017 | Search Party | Julio |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Fallout 76: Steel Dawn | Burke |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | You Are What I Want | Mickey Tipps |
| 2014 | Belief | |
| 2015 | When Your Gender Fluid Friend Gets More Attention from Straight Guys Than You | Freckle |
| 2016 | Call Your Father | Brunette |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Grizzly Bear, "Losing All Sense" |
References
[edit]- ^ "Jason Greene". Retrieved July 16, 2018 – via Facebook.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Freckle, the Gender-Bending Queen of the Internet, Is Ready for Her Closeup". MEL Magazine. February 22, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "The New Muse of East Hollywood: Freckle's Journey to Gender Queer Video Vixen". intomore.com. October 3, 2017. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ "Jason Greene". IMDb. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Wasser, Alexi (July 26, 2017). "Love, Alexi #77: Freckle". Nerdist. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Babe?: Find Your Light w/ Jason Greene aka Freckle". SoundButt. Retrieved July 24, 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f "Freckle Is A Fucking Star". The FADER. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ "Freckle Goes Fluide". Fluide. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
- ^ Greene, Jason. "Ask Aunt Freckle". Damn Joan. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
External links
[edit]- Jason Greene at IMDb
- Freckle on Instagram