Jack (left) and James Reid
It’s only normal. That happens to just about everyone who has a sibling, so I don’t really mind,” show biz newbie Jack Reid said of being compared with his elder half-brother James Reid—one of today’s most popular male stars.
If anything, the hopeful 18-year-old Filipino-Australian pointed out that such things inspire him to strive even harder. “I will be taking up Filipino lessons, and I have been undergoing different kinds of workshops—acting, singing. I want to hone my skills,” he told reporters at a press conference for the movie, “Darkroom” (opens on Jan. 18).
“I will do whatever it takes,” added Jack, whose limited experience in the entertainment industry so far includes being part of TV5’s small screen adaptation of “Ang Panday,” hosting stints on MTV Pinoy and various modeling jobs. “But acting is what I want to focus on.”
In “Darkroom,” a found footage-style horror flick inspired by “The Blair Witch Project,” Jack plays Mac, a balikbayan who joins thrill-seeking teenagers who find an old camera in which a demon resides.
Jack also hopes to do romantic-comedies in the future. But while he doesn’t have any particular girl in mind yet, Jack—who has the same father as James—said it would be great to be in a love team, too.
“That would be cool. It would be fun to be able to work with one person every day,” related the young celebrity, who admitted to being proud and awestruck by his brother’s rocket to fame.
“No one in the family expected that James would be this popular here. It’s insane,” he said. “But we have been getting used to having a very popular sibling; to him being the center of attention. It has become part of our lives for the past five years.”
Jack is very close to his brother, he said. In fact, it was James who convinced him to try entering show biz.
“Initially, he just suggested that I try studying here. That didn’t work out; transitioning from an Australian high school to a school in the Philippines was hard,” he said. “After that, he asked if I would like to try acting.”
What’s the most valuable piece of advice James has given him about pursuing this career?
“He told me to stay true to myself, because that’s what he did, as well, when he was starting,” Jack said. “I admire him because everything that he has achieved, he did them all by himself. At least now, I have someone to help me.”