Next person biography:
Jake graduated from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film and Acting. Throughout his acting career, he has had the opportunity to work alongside renowned actors and directors, including Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Judd Hirsch, Julie Taymor, James Tripp, and Viveca Lindfors.
As a director, Jake made his Off-Broadway debut at Theater for the New City with the premiere of his play "Valhalla," starring Rockets Redglare and Michele Matheson. His work was later featured in the Soho Arts Festival, showcasing New York's most dynamic new talents.
Jake's first screenplay, "Riding with Death," was produced by Judy Jacksina and Thommie Walsh, and starred Paul Hipp, Sebastian Roche, Tatianna Abbey, James Tripp, and Eagle Eye Cherry as Jean Michel Basquiat.
After moving to Los Angeles, Jake debuted his second play, "Mine Games," an epic surreal war drama, and completed his first film, "Le Corset," a dark exploration of Edwardian sexual mores featuring the music of Philip Glass.
In 2003, Jake completed his first feature film, "Looking Through Lillian," starring Sam Bottoms and Jade Henham. The film won numerous awards at festivals, including the Grand Prize for Drama at Houston, where Sam Bottoms also received the Maverick Actor Award for his performance as Gene.
In its art house theatrical run, "Lillian" received rave reviews from Chris Gore and Kevin Thomas of the L.A. Times, who hailed the film as "Illuminating, Elegant, and Sophisticated."
When not working on his film projects, Jake produces Fashionland, a popular fashion fanzine about the New York Nightlife. He has received the Play Stream Directors Award and is the son of an acclaimed NY hip hop and nightlife photographer and designer, as well as an O.S.S. agent who parachuted into Auschwitz and studied painting under Kuniyoshi at the Art Students League.
