Name: Jacob Kogan
Year: 2017
Major: Theater, possibly switching to RTVF
Hometown: New York City, NY
Claim to fame: Actor on the show The Tomorrow People on the CW Network (which airs Wednesdays at 9pm et.)
Why did you decide to atttend Northwestern?
I decided to come here because of the reputable theater program, and because it’s just generally known to be an awesome school with a good balance of smart and “artsy” kids.
You currently are acting in the show The Tomorrow People on the CW. What is your role?
My role on the Tomorrow People is Luca, the main character’s little brother. It’s actually kind of embarrassing, because my character is supposed to be 14.
What is the show about?
The show is basically about superheroes. A high school kid discovers he has powers (teleportation, telekinesis, and telepathy…everyone in the show has the same powers), and meets a band of rebel superheroes (“the Tomorrow People”) that are hiding out from ULTRA, a government agency that wants to kill them all. Stephen, the main kid, eventually becomes a double agent, pretending to work for ULTRA while still remaining loyal to “the Tomorrow People.” His uncle happens to be the leader of ULTRA.
Can you describe what it is like to work on the TV show and what your schedule looks like?
It’s been, and continues to be, a really cool experience working on The Tomorrow People. My schedule is pretty random, but on average I leave school once a month for about 3 days. The people in the cast are super chill; I’ve hung out with them a good amount off set, just chilling at apartments and such.
What other projects have you worked on?
I guess my most notable role is Young Spock in Star Trek (2009). I also played Joshua in the movie Joshua, and had a few scenes in an episode of SVU, among other projects.
Why are you considering switching majors to RTVF?
I can’t take any more theater classes this year because the theater department is super strict about absences, so they don’t tolerate me missing a few classes to go to Vancouver to shoot. I got an incomplete in theater last quarter because of absences; all my other classes were fine.
How is balancing your career with your schoolwork?
It’s been a challenge to balance school and work, to say the least. I had that whole fiasco with theater, so now I can’t take any more theater classes this year, which is kind of a bummer. It’s also just been pretty crazy taking planes all the time; sometimes it’s hard to feel grounded when you’re travelling so often between places that are so far away. But I’m still working this quarter; I’ve talked with my professors and they seem to be cool with it.