Jack Cameron Kay didnt just bring Jones to life on Netflixs Boots, but delivered a performance that resonated far beyond the character and the series in many ways serving as an embodiment of what LGBTQ+ rights have become in the 2010s and 2015s. The show, set in the 1990s, features Sgt. Sullivan (Max Parker) as a slightly older closeted man whose mindset is still stuck on never coming out as gay for the rest of his life. Unsure of himself, Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer), the protagonist, sees Sullivan as a role model for how to survive as a gay man in the world U.S. Marine Corps or otherwise.And then comes Jones, who is like a glitch in the matrix when considered as a character that exists in the 1990s. Jones clocks Sullivan immediately, and tells Cope, who had been pretty oblivious the entire time. It is also Jones who tells Cope that looking up to someone who hates himself and lives in constant fear of being found out isnt quite the bright future that they could dream of. Is living a secret life and just being tolerated by others really the highest goal that queer people should strive for?In an interview with Out, Kay discusses his journey leading up to Boots, becoming a viral sensation, being called trade, and having his own father send him TikToks of his scenes on the show. The actor also reflects on the process of playing this character, how he feels about the overall response hes received, and dreams of a potential second season renewal for this beloved new Netflix series. Jack Cameron Kay on Boots.NetflixOut: Looking at your Instagram feed before all the Boots content, you seemed to be pursuing a modeling career?Jack Cameron Kay: Its funny you say that I was modeling, I honestly wasnt. Its more so that Ive taken fun pictures with my friends.Well, it looked like a legit gig!I appreciate that. I actually have, a couple of times, but that was not my main pursuit. Ive been an actor for the past four years, and before that This is an epic lore drop, but I studied classical singing at Juilliard.Oh, wow. Thats where you were?I was training to be an opera singer.How was that going?Well, I feel comfortable saying that you dont wind up at a place like Juilliard without having some ability But when I arrived there, I was actually immediately drawn to the actors. I was like, Gosh, these people are so self-possessed. Theyre so at the center of their being.Having come from a really conservative town in Michigan, I was still operating from a place of serious repression. I was so insecure. And [at Juilliard] I was surrounded by all these young people who had grown up in coastal metropolitan areas and who had been afforded the time and opportunity to develop themselves further than I had. I was just in awe of how the actors and the dancers carried themselves, and expressed themselves, and even how they dressed.So a lot of my time at school I spent independently studying acting, working a lot on musical theater, attending all of the drama shows, and just trying to learn as much as I could from them. Jack Cameron KaySam Pickart (@sampickart)Where in Michigan were you born, what did your folks do for a living?Im from a town called Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Its an automotive center about 20 minutes from downtown Detroit. My mom was a teacher. My dad was a financial analyst, a stockbroker.Were there any concerns when a career in the arts, and Juilliard, came up?You know what? From a young age, it was very clear to them what my goals were, and clearly what I was going to want to be pursuing. Thankfully, I did not experience a ton of pushback from them. If I may say so, I was demonstrating a considerable amount of talentOh, they clocked the talent! How amazing.It sounds obnoxious to say, but I think that played a huge role in them being OK with it. They were like, Oh.This will work.I think he has something.Incredible.Im really grateful for it. Its something that creative people, for generations, for decades, had to contend with: Not having the support of their family and the people around them to pursue these things. Im grateful that I didnt have that one obstacle, but I had plenty of others After college, I was a little bit like, What do I want to do? So I started auditioning for Broadway a lot.Did you do anything on Broadway, off-Broadway?Oh, no, I didnt get anything. [Laughs.] I was in callbacks for Dear Evan Hansen, and I was making that my big dream, and then the pandemic happened.I started to learn how to play the guitar, I was writing a lot of music, and it became a very creative time. Then, I started to write songs every day, and it became my thing for a while. Jack Cameron Kay on Boots.NetflixThats a sharp left, but an interesting one.Yeah, it was a nice little side quest And then, while doing that, I was like, Why dont I get into an acting class? Thats when I got with my current teacher. She immediately took notice of me and my potential, and then she just became my mentor.Even up until when I was shooting Boots, I would call her from my trailer and be like, Joan, help me! I dont know whats happening.Whats her name? We should give her a shout-out.Joan Rosenfels! Shes an incredible teacher.Shout-out to the diva!The diva, Mrs. Rosenfels! She was the acting coach on SNL for a while. She coaches Murray Bartlett on all his stuff.Oh, wow. No big dealAs soon as she told me that, I was locked-in to working with her. As someone who snuck episodes of Looking on my iPod Touch in high school I was literally hiding in the darkest corners of my home, on my iPod Touch, watching Looking. Miles Heizer and Jack Cameron Kay on Boots.Netflix/Instagram (@most)I love the concept of watching Looking on an iPod Touch.Yeah, exactly. [Laughs.] And Murray Bartlett, hes such I really look up to him as someone who demonstrated such longevity in his career, and has stayed such an honest craftsman, and who is soHes so disengaged from what seems to be the celebrity of it all. He seems to be completely focused on the craft. Thats really the kind of person, and the kind of artist, that I want to be.Well Youre actually great at social media, so that sucks. I dont know what youre going to do, Jack.[Laughs.] Yeah, the fans have pointed out which, the fact that I am even referring to people as fans is news to me but fans have pointed that out. Theyve been calling me a Chronically Online King in my DMs.I started to go viral on Twitter immediately. And I was like, I feel like most people would probably just ignore it. But I feel like I possess that internet language. Im very fluent in Twitter.Yes, you absolutely are. [Laughs.] Youre screwed, Jack.I thought, Im in a unique position to respond to this in a way that feels really authentic. So Im going to cautiously continue to stoke those fires a little bit.I think I was a gay Twitter main character for one day [in the week following the Boots premiere.] That can go one of two ways, and I am grateful that I feel like Ive been largely spared.Yeah, I sincerely havent seen anything negative about you, or the actors, or the show itself which is actually so lovely and surprising, in the best way?Oh, I would agree. We knew the show was good. Weve had the show since August or so. Before it launched, I had seen the whole thing twice. I knew we had a really phenomenal product.The performances, and the actors, I was just so in awe of everyone in the cast. But, as Im sure youre familiar, oftentimes that does not determine whether or not something breaks through. (@) It does not, youre right.It is ultimately the combination of good promotion and sheer luck when something just takes on the internet, so I didnt know what was going to happen. I was obviously hopeful.But from the moment it dropped, specifically queer sectors of the internet were already devouring it, and then continued to do so. I keep posting, like, Okay, re-watch it. Then, the DMs I get back are like, I already did. Im on my third watch. And the fansOh my god, the fan edits.So my father has learned how to use TikTok [Laughs.]No. No way. and hes the one whos sending me all the fan cams, and reading all the comments. Im just like, This is absurd.And the ones of you in the shower with Miles [Heizer] looking over I cant.Oh, that is the featured clip! But hes having the time with his life. Hes really having the time of his life.What was your coming-out process like, moving to New York City to go to college?When I left for college, I was out to everyone and I was very secure. By the time I was ready to talk about it, I was very secure in it. And that only grew the more time I spent in New York. And Im so grateful, too, in a sense, to have grown up in New York in that way.Sometimes I feel like I grew up in New York, even though obviously I didnt. But those years, from 18 to 22, are so crucial. Because I was thrust into this new environment around profoundly dynamic young people, it really accelerated my development as a person. But I was put in a situation that was very uncomfortable, which forced me to evolve. It forced me to open my eyes to so many different ways of being. Im really grateful for that. Jack Cameron Kay on Boots.NetflixI had a similar college trajectory, and I agree that it does give you the chance to be whoever you want. But when you havent yet emerged, what ends up coming to the surface is the person you actually are.Exactly. Were so shaped by those [hometown] environments where existing is like acting. You are existing under a set of circumstances in a certain environment. We assume different personas and sets of behavior.Did it feel similar when you started bringing Jones to life?It did feel similar stepping into a role like Jones. Its like you have this framework of what they would like the character to look and sound like, and you have this person you know as yourself. You try it on, and then you allow this new person to emerge over time. Its a combination of the two whats on the page and who you are and then they merge into something new, which is extremely rewarding.I wanted to explore your story prior to Boots because, as an actor we hadnt really seen on our screens before, its remarkable to watch you come into this moving train and just nail it. We get to know Jones very well, very quickly, just from your face checking out Heizers character. I dont know if people realize how hard it is to convey that much personality with just a look and a smirk. I was like, Oh, we know exactly who Jones is.That literally means the world to me. You hear people talk about this all the time. Its like, You work for years to have an overnight success. I sent in the tape for Boots in April of 2024. I got the callback two weeks later, and then I was going to have the callback a week later.I took the callback, and it was the best callback Ive ever given in my life. And then immediately, an hour later, Angus [OBrien] followed me on Instagram. And I was like, Okay, maybe somethings happening. And then I booked it.I was at the restaurant I worked at, boxing up peoples food to go, when I got the call.Aw, Jack. That is a wonderful story.It was one of the most euphoric, joyful moments of my life. I was in complete disbelief. Im sure you can understand, but the level of despair you can feel sometimes as an actor trying to do this It feels like winning the lottery. It feels like being struck by lightning. Miles Heizer and Jack Cameron Kay on Boots.Netflix/Instagram (@most)Thoughts on how Jones and Cope [Heizer] end season 1, and how a potential second season could play out?I just really appreciate that Jones and [Cope] end on good terms. I think theres such potential for a truly beautiful friendship or relationship. Who knows? I thought it was really clever the way that they had Sullivan thwart that and turn us against one another.And then Jones leaves on that truck, and you dont really know where he goes, do you? I thought it was a very poetic way to close on Joness story in the show, but I would happen to agree with a lot of other people in saying that there does exist the potential for him to return! I would love to play Jones again.Well, yes!And I want that season 2 not just for myself, but for everyone who has spent years shooting it, and five years developing it, and writing it. Greg Cope White, who spent his life developing this story. I want that for them just as much as they want it for me. I have complete faith in the people who are in charge of this story, and how it extends further into the future. If they want to include Jones in that story, they have my numberI have a feeling the fans will want to keep up with the Joneses of it all.All right, I am down! [Laughs.] But if Jones is not a part of the story they want to keep telling, I have faith in that, and I will be happy to support and watch along with everyone else.Boots is now streaming on Netflix.