The Man Behind the Mysteries

Jesse Metcalfe has been a household name in television for just about as long as he’s been a working actor, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen his iconic work. When bursting onto the scene in 2004, playing the role of charming gardener John Rowland on Desperate Housewives, Metcalfe stole the hearts of millions. Just two years later, he starred as the titular character in the romantic-comedy film, John Tucker Must Die. His incredibly magnetic and charismatic talent is evident in everything he does on screen. Additionally, he has a huge passion for philanthropy, leveraging his creative prowess.

Growing up in the golden era of coming-of-age John Hughes films, Metcalfe found inspiration and purpose in trips to the movie theater with his father. “Those movies were really about the outsider making it into the in-crowd, or like the nerd being cool,” he recalls. “That really resonated with me as a child and an adolescent, and it helped me discover the transformative and transcendent power of film.”

While studying film at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the budding star was given the role of Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on the NBC soap opera, Passions. “I really had no acting training, but I ended up booking that job, leaving New York after my junior year, and coming to Los Angeles,” Metcalfe says. “Pretty much the rest is history, I’ve never looked back.”

Typically, actors do not have much influence on behind-the-scenes decisions, but Metcalfe isn’t a typical actor. After working on several successful projects with the Hallmark Channel, he has had the unique, collaborative opportunity to play a pivotal role in the production of Chesapeake Shores (the show’s fifth season is set to premiere on August 15th). “They made me feel comfortable by having me as a part of the creative process early,” he shares. “I think through the course of that series, I proved myself to the network, not just as an actor, but maybe as a writer and a producer.”

But Metcalfe ended up proving more than that, as we saw him take on an additional role last year as an executive producer for the Martha’s Vineyard Mystery series (based on the books by Philip R. Craig), in which he has also starred as the lead. “I can’t even express how grateful I am to the network for having the trust in me to be an executive producer and weigh in on every level creatively – the development of the stories, the rewrites, the casting,” he says. “Because of that, I have had such a vested interest in making sure that the quality of these movies is high.”

As for his off-screen life, having worked closely with various non-profits like UNICEF, The Art of Elysium, and Animals Asia, the actor has been almost just as busy as he’s been in show business. “You have a unique opportunity as a celebrity, or someone with a public profile, to make a bigger impact,” Metcalfe says of his philanthropic efforts. “There are a lot of opportunities to be a part of some organizations that need the spotlight put on them. I try to lend a hand where and when I can.”

Metcalfe will soon be seen in the new action trilogy, The Fortress, alongside Bruce Willis and Chad Michael Murray, and also notes that he is exactly where he wants to be. “My motto for 2021 is to trust myself totally and to go after the things that I want to achieve both personally and professionally,” he affirms. “I feel like I’ve really hit my stride, and there’s nothing that can stand in my way.” Moreover, reflecting on the division in the country, our history, and the hope for a brighter future, he adds, “I think a lot of our nation’s issues have been brought to the forefront this year, and we’ve had to get really honest about a lot of things. Hopefully, the healing can begin, and we can come together stronger for a better future for everyone.”

Writer: Summer Myatt

Photographer: Daniel Lennox

Stylist: Kim Mesches

Men’s Grooming: Paige Davenport (for Exclusive Artists Management - using TATCHA)

Editor: Eiko Watanabe

Special thanks to EPK Media (@myepk & @epkmedia - epkmedia.com)