Fame is fleeting. Stars come and go all the time, with some not even reaching the peak of their potential before leaving the spotlight.
Brandon T. Jackson seems to be one of those. Looking back at his time in show business, the now 36-year-old actor weighs in on what he thinks is the reason why his career stalled.
Where You Know Him From
Jackson’s story isn’t much different from that of other celebrities. Dreaming of stardom, he moved to Los Angeles from his hometown right after high school. He specifically wanted to be known as a comedian and went to work to make it happen.
He got his big break when a talent scout helped him get cast in the comedy film ‘Roll Bounce’ in 2005. Soon, Jackson landed a steady series of other roles in movies like ‘Tropic Thunder,’ ‘This Christmas,’ and, of course, the Percy Jackson films.
His portrayal of the satyr Grover Underwood in the movie series based on Rick Riordan’s books is perhaps his most well-known to date.
Unfortunately for him, things started to go downhill right when he has gotten momentum in his career.
The Curse
But Jackson thinks he was cursed when he starred in the flick, ‘Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son’ in 2011. Although the film earned relatively well in the box office, it was slammed by critics and only got a 5% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Even worse, the role earned Jackson a Golden Raspberry for Worst Supporting Actress as he has to dress up as a woman for the film. As the actor recalled, everything started going for him the moment he put on the dress.
He also shared that he thought the film was not good at all despite it being an entertaining one. The ‘dress bit’ was overdone as well by that point, he added.
Life Today
Since laying low, Jackson has turned his sights towards other endeavors. Instead of films, he’s currently working on honing his standup comedy skills.
His time away from the spotlight also helped him not only find himself again but also God. Jackson’s spiritual journey seems to have led him to return to the faith he had as a child as his parents were both leaders in the church.
The actor likened his disappearance at the height of his career to that of Dave Chappelle’s, saying that he is also experiencing something similar.