Having worked with Blumhouse previously in the 2021 film American Refugee as Kai Taylor, Peyton Jackson has since filmed for their new psychological thriller film The Woman in The Yard, which was released through Universal Pictures in March. Peyton worked closely with Okwui Okpokwasili (Woman) and his on-screen family Danielle Deadwyler (mother – Ramona), Russell Hornsby (father – David) and Estella Kahiha (sister – Annie), and he attended The Woman in The Yard’s movie screening at Plaza Theatre in Atlanta in March. Also this year, Peyton was seen playing Gabe Miller in family film Pet Investigators, and his further films include playing Young Cecil in the biographical musical drama film Respect (which is based on Aretha Franklin’s life, who is played by Jennifer Hudson), and he played Drew in the TV movie First Christmas. Peyton has also worked on TV series such as episodes of Series 4 of Young Dylan for Nickelodeon playing Jeremy, an episode of The First Lady as Nathaniel Pendleton Jr., and he had his first regular TV character playing Kyle in the Emmy Award-winning Apple TV+ series Best Foot Forward. We recently chatted to Peyton about playing Taylor in this year’s psychological thriller film The Woman in The Yard, filming for episodes of Young Dylan and being involved with the biographical musical drama film Respect.
You play Taylor in Blumhouse’s new psychological thriller film The Woman in The Yard – which was released through Universal Pictures in March; can you tell us about the film and your character?
The Woman In The Yard is about a struggling family who just recently lost someone very dear to them. They fall on slightly hard times due to the mother falling into a depressive state. Tension grows in the house when a creepy woman happens to appear in their yard. The family has to try and stay together while simultaneously trying to figure out how to get rid of the woman. I play Taylor, who is the son of Ramona and assumes the new role of the man of the house. Taylor takes care of his sister and mom to the best of his ability with the somewhat limited resources he has while also grieving the loss of his loved one and trying to find ways to protect his family from this eerie threat in his yard.
What was Taylor like to play and how did you prepare for the role?
Taylor was a complicated character of pain and grief that he attempted to mask with jokes and smiles. He went through a lot from losing his father to then feeling like he was slowly losing his mother, while having to step up as the man of the house and take care of his sister, Annie, and the dog. To play this character, I really had to look at it from all the aspects and play it truthfully, so anyone going through a similar situation to this in real life could hopefully see a little bit of themselves in Tay. I also hope that people understand where Tay is coming from throughout the movie and don’t just peg him as a disrespectful brat.
What was it like reading the script for the first time and did you have a favourite scene to film?
Reading the script for the first time was like an amazing rollercoaster of unpredictability and true film psychosis. My favourite scene to film is hard to pick; however, I loved the scene in the attic where I get thrown across the room. It was a very fun scene to film where I got to work with the stunt coordinator.
How did you find the experience working on a psychological thriller film and what was it like on set?
I found the experience itself to be great knowing that this project that I was a part of will move an audience to think. While the set itself wasn’t too scary, other than the fact that we were almost filming in the middle of nowhere for half the film dates, it was really enjoyable acting and being in the moment of danger and seeing all the special effects in action.
Was there anything that drew you to The Woman in The Yard and how did you feel finding out you’d booked the role of Taylor?
I was really drawn to the story of the movie. It was amazing and very deep on so many levels other than just being a horror film. I found out I got the role of Taylor when my agents and managers called my phone a few days after I had a meeting with the director. It was an amazing feeling to get such good news!
How was it attending the movie screening at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta in March with your fellow cast members Danielle Deadwyler and Estella Kahiha and seeing the completed film?
Attending the movie screening at the Plaza Theatre was a lot of fun, especially since I got to see Estella and Ms. Danielle again after a year of being apart from them. It was almost like a mini-reunion.
Having worked with Blumhouse previously on their 2021 film American Refugee as Kai Taylor, what do you enjoy most about filming for Blumhouse projects and what was American Refugee like to be part of?
My role as Kai in American Refugee was vastly different from my role as Taylor. It was great to be a part of American Refugee to make the audience feel the various emotions like suspense and fear and being a part of thought-provoking films. Blumhouse always drops quality movies that are always fun to be a part of.
How would you describe Gabe Miller in this year’s release of family film Pet Investigators, and how was it getting into character?
Gabe in Pet Investigators, from what I can recall, was a cool kid with a big heart for animals, particularly his dogs. It was a light-hearted movie that was fun to film and to get into character. I tried to pull from a more chill aspect of myself and my love for my own dog.
What was it like playing Jeremy in episodes of Nickelodeon’s Young Dylan – Series 4?
Young Dylan was an enjoyable show to film. The role of Jeremy was the first time I ever played a love interest in anything, so that was very different and fun as well. The director, cast, and crew were very chill and fun to be around as well. The whole show overall was a very good experience.
How was your time involved with the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ series Best Foot Forward as Kyle and how was it telling the story?
It was a learning curve about TV show filming for sure… It was my first time being a series regular in a show, so it was really cool to be a part of and to help tell the story as Kyle.
How was it filming with the rest of the cast and having Kyle as your first regular character on TV?
It was fun and exciting, as was the entire experience of filming that show.
What was it like taking on the role of Nathaniel Pendleton Jr. in an episode of The First Lady in 2022?
Taking on the role of NathanieI Pendleton Jr. was quite emotional, but a pleasure to portray him. It was an honour to meet and work with Ms. Viola Davis. She was a very nice person.
What are some of your favourite memories from playing Young Cecil in the biographical musical drama film Respect, which is based on the life of Aretha Franklin?
Some of my favourite memories of playing the role of Young Cecil are working with the rest of the cast from day to day. It was cool to meet and chat with Ms. Jennifer Hudson on set, at the production Christmas party, and after the premiere event.
In 2020, you were seen as Drew in the TV movie First Christmas, what do you remember most from filming this project?
From what I can remember, chess was a big part of my character in this movie, so for this role I learned how to play chess. It was also really fun because it was my first time filming in New Orleans!
How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?
I got into acting when I was younger by doing school theatre and local theatre around Atlanta. I really became passionate about it and with the help of my mom, got a manager and agent and began TV film acting. I took an abundance of acting classes to further develop my acting skills. From there, I kept working hard and growing career-wise. I actually didn’t originally aspire to be an actor. I wanted to be a singer/performer, but acting was always so much fun, and there were more opportunities to perform in that way than singing, so it became my full-time pursuit… I hope to have the opportunity to use my singing skills while acting soon.
What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch, and how do you like to spend your free time?
I love watching Abbott Elementary and the Harley Quinn series… They are my comfort shows… Exciting and funny! In my spare time, I like to write, play video games, play the piano and ukulele, and spend time with my dog, King.
Do you have any projects coming up that you can share, and what are you hoping the next few months bring for your career?
I am currently in the process of creating an animated series and am filming other stuff as well, but nothing that I can go into detail about at the moment.
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