Ghosts' Brandon Scott Jones Thought His Character Would Be Like Stephen Lang In Avatar
Brandon Scott Jones may now play Isaac Higgintoot – the gay Revolutionary War soldier with a grudge against Alexander Hamilton – in "Ghosts," but he never actually dreamed of being an actor growing up. In an interview with AwardsRadar, Jones explained that he grew up hoping to become a professional tennis player and even competed in competitions as a child. In his early teens, he found himself hitting a mental wall with tennis and suddenly made a switch to acting. After graduating from an acting conservatory, he started writing as well, which set him up to get his start as a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe. It was there that he started building connections in show business.
According to an interview that Jones did with GoldDerby, the collaborative nature of improv comedy helped prepare him for his work on "Ghosts." He said that improvising on the set, even when something doesn't make it to the final cut, allows him to explore the character. But he also learned from UCB the importance of keeping one's ego in check and working towards a group goal rather than trying to shine as an individual. "Knowing that your voice is part of a larger group, and that larger group is what this show is about, and figuring out where that fits is a really fun challenge and a really fun process," he explained to GoldDerby.
When the UCB alum first got the role of Isaac on the show, he admits he wasn't sure that he could play the character, largely based on a misconception he had of who Isaac really was.
Brandon Scott Jones thought Isaac would be a more reserved character
In an interview with Collider, Brandon Scott Jones admitted that he wasn't sure if he could play the role of Isaac Higgintoot because he didn't think anyone would believe him as a soldier. But he also admitted that was largely because he thought of the character as more reserved and drier than what Isaac eventually became. "I just didn't feel like I had that gravitas or that type of — I don't know, you think of like Stephen Lang in Avatar as a soldier," the actor said. "And I was like, I don't know if I have that!" As Jones started to play with the character more, he found ways to make him more flamboyant and give him more emotion than he originally thought would be possible.
Still, as flamboyant and funny as the character is, Jones shared with GoldDerby that he doesn't think Isaac would be nearly as relatable if he was just big and silly. He said that the touching moments that come up keep the audience invested in him. Jones also mentioned that viewers' investment in the character could potentially make some of the funny moments even funnier. So, in the end, Isaac Higgentoot is a far cry from Stephen Lang's Colonel Quaritch in "Avatar." Instead, he's a goofy and lovable, yet vulnerable soldier who the audience just can't help but root for.