We all have dreams. Mostly, these dreams equate to ambition; a dream is a goal, one that might take a great deal of luck and an equal amount of hard work to actualize. These waking dreams hover at the periphery of the future, close enough that they just might become tangible. There are those with lofty dreams, those with false dreams; those with bloated, weighty dreams. And then, there’s Jake Bongiovi.

Jake Bongiovi has a very particular dream: to be a Jedi, adventuring through space. “Obviously, I fantasize about it like a totally cool, normal person,” Bongiovi tells me over Zoom from Atlanta on a late August afternoon. The 22-year-old actor, model, and Gen Z cinephile elucidates answers like this one throughout the interview in a light, bemused tone. In reality, Jake Bongiovi has been pursuing (and actualizing) real dreams of working on film sets, citing Beautiful Boy and Dead Poets Society as the main impetus for his cinematic pursuits, but he continues: “I would love to live in the [Star Wars] universe, or at least experience it!”

Bongiovi knows how to take himself and his career seriously, but it doesn’t hurt to toss some lightheartedness in there from time to time. And Star Wars has always been a personal favorite of the young star. “As a child, I believed these things to be real because I didn’t understand the concept of film yet,” he considers. “And so, full-circle storytelling is when you come back to your inner child.”

Or, if the inner child isn’t accessible, the actor will channel his inner college kid. Bongiovi is set to star in upcoming college comedy, Sweethearts, alongside Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga, directed by Jordan Weiss. Pre-Sweethearts, he attended Syracuse University to study political science and drama. After gaining interest from casting directors, he decided to drop out and quickly dove into new opportunities. “Sweethearts was my first time ever stepping onto set,” Bongiovi says, describing the surreal transition from an acting class to the real thing.

It’s hard to imagine this unassuming, passionate theater kid at a frat party or living the stereotypical college experience, but Bongiovi can relate to the fish-out-of-water feeling. In his debut on Rockbottom, a rock ‘n’ roll film directed by Todd Tucker, Bongiovi plays the new lead singer of an 80s hair metal band embarking on their reunion charity concert. “Rockbottom was a really cool way to wade into the water of filmmaking,” he shares. In one scene, Bongiovi is clad in head- to-toe leather, complete with a ginger mullet—transforming into the uncanny image of a real life rocker with whom he shares a last name.

“It was awkward when you first do [the crowd scene] when you’re singing in front of a crowd of other actors,” he confesses. “You have to get over being weird. It’s much more tedious and much more expansive than I think people understand when you’re filming something like that.” For some of his sadder scenes in Rockbottom, Bongiovi called on some of the experiences of The Clash to influence his performance. “I had a crew and cast who supported me [while I was] figuring stuff out. I went through different phases.”

Bongiovi believes that perseverance is the key to getting himself on-screen. He says, “Right now, like every other actor, everyone is taking a billion auditions, hoping to crack the shell. No matter what level you’re on, everyone is walking up the hill,” he states matter-of-factly.

When he reaches a level where he has his choice of movies, Bongiovi would love to be in a science-fiction drama. “That would be my crème-de-la-crème. I just love those kinds of films where you’re looking 50 years into the future, which gives you creative input into world-building, but is grounded in the subject matter. That’s what makes a great sci-fi film,” he says. “Personally, I’d love to stay in the drama field and even do thriller beats.” Still, he thinks he might try on most genres for size. “I mean, who doesn’t love a good buddy comedy?”

Recently, Bongiovi received some good insight from a seasoned actor friend who pointed out two different routes in an acting career. He explains, “Either you play YOU in different versions of yourself, projecting your character on-screen, or pretend to be someone else. You could go on and completely method-act, which you see often in biopics. Or you see those actors we know and love who play themselves, and we go to the theater just to watch them.”

Bongiovi finds both routes equally exciting ways to explore his process. Not every day is Halloween, although if it were, he would probably be wearing a Darth Vader costume. He’s drawn to villains. “Villains are always fun and interesting, but I think [they are] complicated as well. Any villain character has a backstory you want to know more about,” he says.

Besides acting and filmmaking, Bongiovi’s other passion is scuba diving. He actually proposed to his wife, actor Millie Bobby Brown, during a dive at their favorite spot, gargling the question and dropping the ring in the process (No harm no foul: she still said yes). Despite being an avid diver, Bongiovi admits he doesn’t watch Shark Week because he loves the ocean and doesn’t want to “bum [himself] out.” Instead, he prefers to watch cute, sweet videos of sea creatures.

Fear aside, his extreme sports experience could lead him to future stunt work. Whenever his wife does a stunt in a project, Bongiovi watches on, inspired by her bravery. “I’d love to start slow, jump out of a plane or something. If I were offered, I’d be so interested in doing my own stunts,” he says. “One day, maybe I will do a movie underwater. That would be a true challenge, but it’s one that I’d be open to.”

Throughout the interview, Bongiovi repeats this sort of ready-for-anything sentiment. It’s clear that Jake Bongiovi is destined for something stellar. Eager, earnest, and kind to boot, the young star jests of living amongst the Jedi, but with an attitude like his, no dream—not even one predicated on childish, fictional fancy—is outside the realm of possibility.

Photographed by Michael Muller

Styled by Rasheen Holland

Written by Anna Carlson

Grooming: Logan Troy

Flaunt Film: Abhi Thaker

Stylist Assistant: Metta Conchetta

Production Assistant: Austin Presley

Location: St. Regis Atlanta