Jordan L. Jones Unveils Jazz's Evolution in 'Bel-Air' Season 3

[00:00:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Jordan, thank you for joining me today in Pop Culture Unplugged.

[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for having me man, always, always a pleasure.

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Scientize my friend, we have Bel-Air Season 3 August 15th, you know, we've been waiting

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: for this new season for a while now.

[00:00:22] [SPEAKER_00]: The last, the previous two seasons have built a lot of momentum.

[00:00:25] [SPEAKER_00]: What are you excited about for this season coming up?

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Man, I'm just excited for, I'll say like, you know, in season one, I think people saw

[00:00:34] [SPEAKER_01]: my character as like kind of like this guru.

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, he could do no wrong.

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_01]: I was giving advice to Will and Hillary, which is like a good friend.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_01]: He didn't really get a chance to really see his layers until season two where you kind

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_01]: of saw some insecurities and you know, how he navigated those relationships with

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Hillary.

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I think season three is going to be great because it's more, of course the relationship

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_01]: stuff with Hillary is still there, but just diving more into jazz and like kind of what

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_01]: he believes in the stuff that like he wants and likes to do and kind of navigating more

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER_01]: with Will and Carlton as opposed to just strictly Hillary.

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm excited for people to kind of see more depth in the character jazz.

[00:01:18] [SPEAKER_01]: So Thursday man.

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Thursday.

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I like it too, like in the past two seasons, you know, we've seen him involved in so

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: many ways.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Like how would you describe his journey from the first two seasons also?

[00:01:29] [SPEAKER_00]: And like, what are you excited about first season three for this character?

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just, you know, I'm excited that people get a chance to, you know, kind of kind

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_01]: of like what I said before, kind of like dive deeper into, you know, the jazz

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_01]: character in this, in this season.

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that kind of what we learned in like season two is that like jazz is still

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_01]: human being, you know, like jazz can can, you know, he loves his record shop.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_01]: He, you know, he loves his antique car.

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_01]: He's got the swagger and style.

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_01]: He's got all that down pack.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_01]: But like, what's more about like jazz?

[00:02:10] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I'm saying like, what is like, what does he believe in?

[00:02:14] [SPEAKER_01]: What does he stand for?

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think I love the writers and I appreciate them because, you know, I didn't

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_01]: really expect a lot of feedback that I get about my characters.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I was blessed and grateful to, you know, get the role.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_01]: And that was very humbling.

[00:02:30] [SPEAKER_01]: But because of the feedback and, you know, the fans and they're like, we love

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_01]: jazz, we love jazz.

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, it's not anything that has been spoken, but I think

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_01]: that that helps.

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And they're like, OK, well, people want to see jazz.

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01]: So we got to, we got to, you know, go into depth about jazz.

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think what the audience wants is like what they're going to get,

[00:02:51] [SPEAKER_01]: especially in this season and the cliffhangers and just the plot line

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_01]: and it's more action and it's more romance.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Jabari always says, which is going to throw you off.

[00:03:03] [SPEAKER_01]: But he said this season is like fast and the furious

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_01]: mix with the notebook.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And I remember like, wow, those are completely contrasting movies.

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, that's that's what season three is, man.

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And like I said, man, I'm just so excited.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I get a chance to see it because keep in mind, too, yeah, we shoot

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_01]: these scenes and we have these great days and we don't get to see it though.

[00:03:28] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, so like I haven't seen the season yet.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm like, all right, I'm just like the viewers, like, can we hurry up?

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Like, I'm trying to see myself.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Did I kill it? Like, did y'all keep that one scene?

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_00]: You met to Jabari, you know, he plays Will.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_00]: How would you describe now that friendship for the last two seasons?

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Now heading to season three.

[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Man, it's just it's so strange because I think Simone who plays Lisa,

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_01]: she said that she was like, it's it's funny because it's like we were

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_01]: so close from the beginning and we still are.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's like we kind of wait to see who switches up.

[00:04:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Because some people think, OK, after three seasons, are you guys getting closer?

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_01]: It's like, no, actually, I think we were it's like the opposite.

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Like we're already so close that we're all trying to look at each other like, OK,

[00:04:15] [SPEAKER_01]: like who's going to jump off ship first?

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_01]: But do from the first day, man, me and Jabari, I think that, you know,

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_01]: we say actors a lot of time are in the taste of life.

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_01]: And dude, I'm from Los Angeles, South Los Angeles.

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_01]: I kind of went Jabari is actually from Philly, you know, it's like he

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_01]: he came out here and our characters are so, you know, similar that like

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_01]: exactly kind of how it is like in the show is like how it just popped off to be

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_01]: from the first day we shot our scenes.

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_01]: We hung out that night because like I said, the Internet is a job.

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's like we can have fun and stuff on set.

[00:04:51] [SPEAKER_01]: But right when we clock out and see you tomorrow, it could be like that.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_01]: It's nothing wrong with that.

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_01]: But dude, we hang out all the time.

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Jabari at one point stayed at my house for like a month and a half

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_01]: because like he was getting his new apartment, but it wasn't ready.

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_01]: And it was like, yeah, dude, just stay with me.

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's like in the beginning of season two at the beginning,

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Jabari will will the character has been staying at Jazz's house for weeks.

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_01]: He's like, you got to get about and it was just so funny

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_01]: because he actually did that.

[00:05:19] [SPEAKER_01]: And that wasn't on purpose.

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_01]: We didn't tell the writers like we went we would just say we're like,

[00:05:24] [SPEAKER_01]: you know, that this actual this stuff actually happened.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And, dude, since since day one, me and him been locked in.

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And but yeah, that's that's like my brother, man.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Awesome.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_00]: You mentioned also earlier about Jazz and Hillary's relationship.

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_00]: The fans are excited about that.

[00:05:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And I can't wait for them to see this season.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Because, you know, we left off with, you know,

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_01]: I kind of confess my love to Hillary and I apologize to her

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_01]: and think that she's going to she's the person knocking at the door.

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_01]: But it wasn't.

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_01]: She actually ends up going to the market's house now.

[00:06:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what that means to viewers, but I can't wait.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I truly can't wait for people to see this this journey

[00:06:08] [SPEAKER_01]: that Hillary and I go through this season.

[00:06:12] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's crazy. It's going to be a nail biting one.

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_01]: And you know, you'll be on the edge of your seats till episode 10.

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_01]: The last minute.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_00]: So we got 10 episodes coming up by like for how would you tease it

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_00]: to the viewers?

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_00]: What do you hope they get out of this whole series for the season?

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, man, dude, I think this is

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I think this is so important, man, because, you know, there's different genres

[00:06:36] [SPEAKER_01]: of television and things of that nature.

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_01]: But I want to say like what they're going to get is like the full black experience.

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that, you know, from the original

[00:06:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Fresh Prince, what was so great about it, it was kind of like a contrast

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_01]: because this guy from Philly, you know, inner city Kevin Philly

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_01]: comes in with his rich black family and it just shows that dynamic.

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Man, and this all the plot lines are

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_01]: are so number one cool, but you get to see these different facets of kind

[00:07:07] [SPEAKER_01]: of like the black life.

[00:07:08] [SPEAKER_01]: You can see like the rich, you know, black family, you know,

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_01]: who dad is a lawyer when Uncle Phil and then you got Jimmy Ackabogel

[00:07:17] [SPEAKER_01]: plays Jeffrey and he's this mysterious

[00:07:21] [SPEAKER_01]: English killer slash right hand man.

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_01]: That that dynamic human human his relationship with his son.

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_01]: You got jazz was the the hustler from inner city Los Angeles,

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_01]: South Los Angeles and just trying to make a way

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_01]: and dating someone who sometimes he feels insecure about, you know,

[00:07:41] [SPEAKER_01]: just because of, you know,

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_01]: you know, her parents being rich, me trying to be a provider

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_01]: just to be a provider and just that dynamic and people can relate to that.

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_01]: We got Ashley, who's like, you know, the younger generation

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_01]: and how she's navigating through school and her sexuality,

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Carlton being more of like the man at school

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_01]: and then like he's not because will comes in.

[00:08:05] [SPEAKER_01]: We got we got Lisa, who's the swimmer.

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_01]: We got all these different types of relatable families and people

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_01]: that I think that I'm excited for people to, you know,

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_01]: we're going to expand more upon that.

[00:08:19] [SPEAKER_01]: But it's great for people to see because everybody can relate to certain things.

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_01]: But I think we kind of hit on all cylinders when it comes to the different

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_01]: types of, you know, people that we have on our show.

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_01]: So I just I just enjoy the writing.

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I love our show.

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_01]: I think that it's it's needed.

[00:08:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I do. I think that it's cool that we dramatize the original

[00:08:39] [SPEAKER_01]: because will even says this to us like a lot of topics and stuff,

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_01]: especially back then, it was like they couldn't touch every single thing.

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, some stuff is like that.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_01]: We don't want to put them on TV or just maybe because of the genre.

[00:08:51] [SPEAKER_01]: We don't want to get too dark, whatever.

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's cool that we can tackle all those things with still keeping

[00:08:56] [SPEAKER_01]: the aura of the original characters.

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_01]: So that's cool.

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_00]: You mentioned the writers.

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER_00]: How often do you look back and forth?

[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_00]: The writers when do they ever ask you or you're like the producers,

[00:09:05] [SPEAKER_00]: directors like, hey, how do you want to do this scene?

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_00]: How do you know, like, are you feel about certain things?

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_01]: It's funny, dude.

[00:09:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't I don't do it that much

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_01]: because at the end of the day and I started to learn this,

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_01]: like, regardless, like, you know, this is a job and they have their job.

[00:09:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Their job is to write my job is to act no matter what is on the paper.

[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes it was a funny story.

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Season two, there's a scene where

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_01]: my car declines when I'm at dinner with Hillary

[00:09:33] [SPEAKER_01]: and she's like, don't wear I got it.

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, no, like I got it.

[00:09:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Like I just put money in the account.

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Like I got it stopped with my pride.

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_01]: She's like, I don't really care.

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_01]: Like I'll pay for it.

[00:09:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And so we kind of go back and forth on that and she ends up paying for it.

[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And we get to a huge argument.

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_01]: That that's what led to like our first break up

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_01]: because I was like, man, if the market was here, you would have let him try

[00:09:54] [SPEAKER_01]: his card again when we got that script.

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Like the one time I really went to the writers.

[00:10:00] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like, all right, guys.

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_01]: So like, I'm just having trouble because like I would never do this.

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_01]: You know what I'm saying?

[00:10:05] [SPEAKER_01]: Like, I would never like in front of my girlfriend, bring up another guy

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_01]: and say, you know, just I just wouldn't.

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I if I complained to my friends or my mom, but I wouldn't I wouldn't do that.

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And they were like, yeah, you're right.

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_01]: You would with jazz would.

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, oh, I forgot.

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I forgot I'm playing a character.

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_01]: So what's cool is like kind of since then, you know, people ask me,

[00:10:29] [SPEAKER_01]: like, did you like how the writing was here and here?

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, actually, I enjoy all the writing because it just gives you

[00:10:35] [SPEAKER_01]: a chance to be OK, this is the situation and this is what's happening.

[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_01]: How can you make it relatable, you know, regardless?

[00:10:41] [SPEAKER_01]: And so that's been that's been really fun.

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Just that day was so funny because I was like, oh, I'm like,

[00:10:45] [SPEAKER_01]: is there another way I can say this without just sounding ridiculous?

[00:10:49] [SPEAKER_01]: And they're like, nah, that's what we want.

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Jazz to be insecure. That's the character we got.

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Right. I forgot. This isn't me.

[00:10:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Next question.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if you could answer this.

[00:11:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you could tease it.

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_00]: I know we've seen some original cast members come back and play a different role.

[00:11:05] [SPEAKER_00]: Are we going to see DJ Jazzy, Jeff, anything?

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I get that.

[00:11:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's the one.

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you're going to have to wait to watch to see, you know, we got a lot of

[00:11:13] [SPEAKER_01]: OGs, you know, who play characters on this show.

[00:11:17] [SPEAKER_01]: We have some some more this season.

[00:11:20] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you got to you got to wait and watch to find out for real.

[00:11:24] [SPEAKER_00]: Is there a specific episode that's going to stick out for everybody

[00:11:28] [SPEAKER_00]: this season that you can't wait for people to watch?

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And the finale.

[00:11:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Also, it's funny because like we shoot like each episode at a time

[00:11:36] [SPEAKER_01]: and we shot this in like January.

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_01]: So I actually have no idea.

[00:11:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't tell you really like, oh, yeah, episode four.

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't remember.

[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I can go back and look at the script and be like, oh, yeah, we did shoot that.

[00:11:46] [SPEAKER_01]: As of right now, like it's kind of cool too, because when this comes out

[00:11:50] [SPEAKER_01]: on Thursday, I get to kind of watch it for the first time

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_01]: along with the rest of the world.

[00:11:55] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's cool. It's kind of like I threw it away.

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_01]: You'll be like, oh, wow, like I'm excited, you know, like actually

[00:12:00] [SPEAKER_01]: not on something like I've already seen this stuff before.

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_01]: So, yeah, man, like I'm excited for that.

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_00]: As an actor now, do you like to go back to watch yourself on screen

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER_00]: or to watch the like the episodes that are going to come out?

[00:12:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you like doing that?

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, are you kidding me?

[00:12:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Like there are some people who don't like I know some of my actress friends

[00:12:22] [SPEAKER_01]: and they'll be like, yo, how was the episode?

[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Not specifically for this show.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_01]: How's the episode?

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'd be like, dude, episode was great.

[00:12:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Like, you didn't watch it.

[00:12:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Like we were talking to them.

[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like, I don't know.

[00:12:34] [SPEAKER_01]: I just found weird on TV.

[00:12:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like, OK.

[00:12:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, like just certain little quarrels we will have with themselves

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_01]: where they're like, you know, they enjoy the work, but they don't

[00:12:43] [SPEAKER_01]: like seeing it. I've heard that with several actors.

[00:12:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I think didn't tell this at times, but me personally,

[00:12:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I need to watch myself so I can know how I look,

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_01]: how that scene went.

[00:12:55] [SPEAKER_01]: What could I have done better?

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_01]: It's kind of like a studying mechanism, you know,

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_01]: just always trying to improve also.

[00:13:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Like I just enjoyed this show too.

[00:13:03] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's like I happen to be on it, but I really just enjoy the show.

[00:13:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I think all of our cast is phenomenal.

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_01]: And I think we were casting like perfectly, man, I really do.

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know how they did that.

[00:13:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I really don't.

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_01]: But all of us are so good and so compelling.

[00:13:20] [SPEAKER_01]: I even like, you know, I think I'm out of 10 episodes.

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, eight.

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And like sometimes my favorite episodes

[00:13:26] [SPEAKER_01]: be the ones that I'm not even in.

[00:13:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[00:13:30] [SPEAKER_00]: So we have Bayley or August 15th.

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Jordan, let's end this by like now.

[00:13:34] [SPEAKER_00]: How can the listeners of the viewers keep up with you on social media?

[00:13:36] [SPEAKER_00]: I know you love posting about the show

[00:13:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and about your appearances and everything.

[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, man, I mean, like, you know, if you want to keep up with your boy,

[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_01]: it's my Instagram is Jordan L. Jones is my full name,

[00:13:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Jordan L. Jones on Twitter, Jordan L. Jones underscore

[00:13:51] [SPEAKER_01]: on TikTok. It's Jordan L. Jones as well.

[00:13:54] [SPEAKER_01]: If you just type in money, I try to keep it simple, honestly.

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_01]: I try my best.

[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_01]: So, man, like, you know, y'all follow me.

[00:14:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Stay tuned this season.

[00:14:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Like I said, it's going to be phenomenal.

[00:14:06] [SPEAKER_01]: But I can't wait.

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_01]: I can't wait till Thursday.

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Jordan, I want to thank you for giving me a few minutes.

[00:14:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully we see season four.

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll get you back on.

[00:14:14] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll continue this chat.

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Of course we can do it, man.

[00:14:16] [SPEAKER_01]: It's always great talking to you, brother.

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_01]: All right, you too.