Interview by David Gargiulo

It all starts with a child standing on a tightrope, mandolin in hand, surrounded by the hum of a city park and the sound of applause under a weatherworn circus tent. Not a storybook scene, but a way of life—part theater, part civic celebration, part family tradition. Long before cameras or casting calls, this was the stage: juggling pins, acrobatics, and a mission to bring people together through joy and grit. That spirit—earnest, quietly rebellious, emotionally precise—defines Chicago’s own Maxwell Jenkins. Now 20, he carries that same grounded intensity into every role. Maxwell has grown up onscreen, maturing with each project, from the brave and brainy Will Robinson in Lost in Space to the vulnerable teenage son in Joe Bell, to the resilient Thomas in Arcadian.

There’s a clarity and thoughtfulness to Maxwell performances that comes not from precociousness, but from deep emotional study. He doesn’t just act—he listens, he absorbs, and then he builds something that feels lived-in. Now, with The Bondsman, Maxwell steps into murkier territory. The supernatural series, created by Grainger David and starring Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles, deals in themes of vengeance, redemption, and the uneasy blur between right and wrong. A mix of supernatural thriller and character-driven drama, the show also features moments of dark humor, grounding its otherworldly elements in a relatable, emotional context. Beyond the screen Maxwell is taking classes in college, playing music in a band, and reflecting on what it truly means to tell stories with integrity. The spotlight may have found him early—but Maxwell is charting his path with intention.

Photography Kevin Sinclair Styling Oretta Corbelli

David Gargiulo __ You started performing acrobatics at a young age.

Maxwell Jenkins __ From the time I can remember, we've had acrobats coming in and out of our house. My parents run a theatrical circus company out of Chicago called Midnight Circus. It's traveled all around the world and we've played at some great festivals, like the Montreal Circus Festival. We were the first American troupe there. But for the majority of my lifetime, the circus operated in this realm of bringing very affordable but world class shows to Chicago neighborhoods and parks. Then, a portion of the ticket proceeds we raise goes toward funding the rebuilding and maintenance of park playgrounds, field houses, and more. The circus is really meant to bring the community together with these world class artists from all over the world. We have acrobats that when they're not with Cirque du Soleil, they're with us. And the ticket prices are a fraction of what it would cost to go see Cirque du Soleil. So, I grew up performing in the Midnight Circus and since I was three, I've been in the ring. I started doing partner acrobatics as a flyer with my dad before switching, when I got too big for that, to Rolla Bolla, which is juggling on top of a board on top of a cylinder. I also walk the tightrope on a unicycle and now I'm on the UCLA cheer team as a base because I have that background in circus, so now I lift the people up and throw them around, and that whole deal.

DG __ You're too tall to be thrown around at this point.

MJ __ Yeah. Although it's more about how a person flies. So they do put me up there sometimes if they need someone in the middle. So, I still go up at times.

DG __ I'm assuming you do your own stunts.

MJ __ I try whenever it's legal or they feel comfortable. I've been lucky to work with some great stunt coordinators that try to get me in there as much as they can. It's nice to have the real thing and it allows me to stay in the character when I'm doing the stunts.    

DG __ How did the physicality of being an acrobat help you with the way you approach a scene or embody a character?

MJ __ There are two things that helped me get into character: physicality and music. Circus is all physical; I think I've maybe said a sentence or two in my entire time performing in the ring. It's very much about conveying this story and keeping people excited and engaged through the body. So, that's one aspect that I take into acting, it’s understanding the character’s unique physicality. The way a character walks, his gestures, what's something that he does when he's nervous, how does he react to any number of diverse emotions. The circus is such a great work ethic trainer. You spend thousands of hours to perfect a few minutes over the course of your lifetime. So whenever it's a hard time on set and someone asks, “Are you okay?” I say nothing is harder than the circus because that's really what the case is in terms of the performing world.

DG __ Makes sense, I call it discipline. It sounds like a lot of it comes from your experience in the circus and how your parents have been wonderful role models for you.

MJ __ Absolutely. I try to take on a lot for sure in my life between school, acting, and music. The kind of discipline circus teaches you, especially with some of those Russian coaches, is no joke.

DG __ Wait, so that’s true, it’s not only in the movies?

MJ __  All true! I’ve had a few Russian coaches. My parents had Russian coaches. It’s all true! Going out in the freezing cold to train regularly rubbed off on them and then, in turn, rubbed off on me. And it’s pretty freezing in Chicago [laughs]

DG __ Wow, that’s dedication. In addition to learning the physicality of the role, I guess circus also helped you manage nerves because you started acting very young. 

MJ __ I guess so, I got into acting by accident. My mom was a voice-over actress in Chicago, and her agency opened up an on-camera department. Sometimes, I would be in the room with her, and because I was a cute kid, they’d say "Hey, can we send him out for stuff?" And she said “Absolutely no” many, many times. She really did not want me in the industry for years. Then, when I was eight, an interview came through. It was after school. I didn't have to miss any classes and had no lines to memorize, so she was like, "Fine. Do you really want to do this? Okay, then we'll go in to get them off our backs.” And the next thing I knew, I was on a plane to LA. I don't even remember what I talked about; probably the circus. I didn't end up booking that job, but my parents said, "Okay, there's something here we should think about pursuing." But my parents made an effort to always prioritize school and relegated my acting career to the same level as me running cross country and doing Model United Nations and other extracurricular activities. So, to me there was no difference between going to film on the set of Lost in Space to running my cross country meet the week after. I think my parents did such a good job of me avoiding that feeling of trying to get the next job and get in the rat race young. They really kept me grounded and I think the best decision they made was to keep me out of LA while I was growing up, and keep me in Chicago enrolled in my public school. Because it's so hard to not get that tunnel vision of just needing to get the next job and ignoring the other experiences that actually make you a better actor in the long run. I think that's probably how the nerves were managed. I have really good parents who kept me grounded, put everything into perspective, and said, “You get one childhood, but you have the rest of your life for a career. So, we're just going to focus on this right now and take it one step at a time, one project a year.” And for a while, that was Lost in Space, which felt like my childhood. Everyone on the show was like family and a role model in their own way. I think that also helped. I was really lucky to be surrounded by normal people who recognized that I was just a kid growing up.

DG __ And after Lost in Space? Was there a gap before you started with the next role?

MJ __ Not too long after Lost in Space, I went into filming Reacher on Amazon and then I did Dear Edward for Apple TV, which was a really great experience as I got to live in New York. Both jobs were supporting roles because my parents were like, "You need to finish high school and then you're applying to colleges.” The next thing that I took on was Arcadian in my senior year. 

DG __ How did you manage that?

MJ __ It wasn’t easy because we were filming in Ireland. My teachers were so understanding. I've been fortunate to have great teachers who understand that, as long as I prove to them that I'm committed to keeping my grades up, there are some lessons that can't be learned in the classroom and that traveling and working are really valuable lessons in themselves. But it was hard. I mean, I would fly back a lot for final exams. I would have to miss lectures, teach myself, and go in for office hours. I remember in my senior year of high school, we wrapped filming and I hopped on a plane and went straight back to Chicago to take an AP calculus final the next morning. Coming back from Ireland, it worked out with the time difference, but it was really tricky.  

DG __ How did you do?

MJ __ I got an A in the class.  

DG __ Holy, calculus is not easy. Wow. Good stuff. You are really something. You mentioned studying, acting, and music. Is music something you picked up recently?    

MJ __ Music has been there for as long as I can remember. My parents started me on violin when I was three. I was tone deaf, and the violin has no frets, so it trains your ear. Then, I switched to the mandolin when I was seven, and that's been a constant in my life. After the first season of Lost in Space, I bought my first guitar. Because that's what Bill Mumy said he did after the first season of Lost in Space, he said he bought himself a Rickenbacker, so I went out and bought myself a Gretsch semi hollow body. But yeah, music has been a constant in my life. I've been in a few different bands, but now I'm in a band in LA called The 529s. It's the first time I’m in a band that sees music as a viable career opportunity. It's not a high school fun thing; we're going around LA for gigs and have originals we recorded in studio. So, yeah, it's been going well.

DG __ I'm so impressed with you. It feels like everything you touch works out in a way. 

MJ __ I'm glad it seems like that but it definitely hasn't, but I appreciate it. Music has been my way to connect with people on set too. It kind of bridged worlds for me; I'll always bring my mandolin or guitar and play in the base camp lot area by the trailers, and someone always comes by to jam. And especially on this new project I did called The Bondsman. It was really helpful because The Bondsman bridged the acting and music worlds. Music is great at bringing people together and it's a powerful tool for bringing a cast together and establishing instant chemistry. We only had three months to film the whole show, which is really quick as a lot of big movies don't even get filmed in that time span.

DG __ Three months! Just to understand how long did Arcadian take? 

MJ __ 25 days. We had a really tight schedule because Nicholas Cage is really busy. 

DG __ But The Bondsman was 8 episodes long!

MJ __ Yes, about 4 hours of television. We had a quick timeline and what really helped was that the music gelled us instantly.

DG __ So I am going under the assumption that since your character, Cade, plays the guitar, you were actually playing for real.

MJ __ Yes. And we were also singing Red Flags in episode six. That was actually a nerve-racking experience, stepping into a studio with Jennifer Nettles and having to sing. She was great and we had a great sound and music team. So that was me singing. Then for Will the Circle Be Unbroken, I'm singing and playing mandolin as well.

“What really drew me to the show [Bondsman] , beyond obviously the veteran studded cast, was the opportunity to make music in a show with such experienced musicians because I knew I would learn so much as an actor and musician and ways to bridge the two.”

DG __ You said you are doing gigs around LA.

MJ __ Yes! We had a gig last weekend at The Venice West. We're also playing at UCLA’s Spring Sing, which is a big music concert or competition at the Los Angeles Tennis Center that attracts like 8,000 people. Maroon 5 started there which is really cool.

DG __ What are you studying at UCLA?

MJ __ Global studies. I know it sounds like a fake major [laughs], but it's a mix of political and macroeconomic theory. And you can customize it to focus on international law and cultural diplomacy. So, a mix of history, study of cultures, political theory, and some macroeconomic theory. It's a pretty interdisciplinary major. I’m thinking of applying to law school after.

DG __ Favorite line you ever said on camera?

MJ __ There's a great Will Robinson quote that I put at the end of all of my emails. “The impossible happens all the time; you just have to believe it can.” It's a great line that Zack Estrin wrote, the showrunner of Lost in Space, who was a great man and role model, kind of like a father figure in the industry. Whenever I had a question, I would go to him. That line really stuck with me; I was 11 years old when I first said it in episode 9 of season 1 of Lost in Space.      

DG __ The Bondsman is an action supernatural horror. Are you superstitious?

MJ __ I think I am. At times, I get this idea in my head that if I don't do this, something terrible is going to happen. Maybe that's just some type of OCD that I have to get checked out. [laughs] There are many times in my life where I haven't gotten a role or something I really wanted, only for something better to come of it. Not to sound too cliché, but everything happens for a reason. And I think, maybe, I'm lucky enough for that to be the case with my life.

DG __ What do you like most about The Bondsman? 

MJ __ The storyline is unique, fun, and exciting. It has these heartwarming moments and these scary moments, but it never takes itself too seriously. You know what I mean? It leaves room for fun moments that keep things fresh, which is super necessary for such a fast-paced show. In my opinion, it'd be really exhausting if it was just all bad. But what really drew me to the show, beyond obviously the veteran studded cast, was the opportunity to make music in a show with such experienced musicians because I knew I would learn so much as an actor and musician and ways to bridge the two. Eric Olsen, the showrunner, is a phenomenal person. The first thing he said to me when I was deciding, because I was a freshman at UCLA and it would have meant me potentially having to leave school for a period of time, was, "Listen, if this is going to ruin your freshman year of college, I don't want you to do it. I can't have that on my conscience." And the minute he said that I remember thinking “He's a great person beyond such a talented writer. I have to do this.” 

DG __ The show is set in a small town with a country vibe. Was it a pre-built set here in Hollywood? 

MJ __ No, we filmed about an hour and a half outside Atlanta. We filmed in a place where a lot of people filmed. We lived by the old Pinewood Studios that Marvel built and filmed over at Riverwood Studios. So there were sets. There's this long road leading up to the studio. You go through this dense forest. And then you pull into the gate of the studio, and there's this old, beautiful yellow southern home with a wraparound porch a couple hundred yards away from all the studios. When I first saw it, I asked the show runner, “That's so weird. Who lives there?” And he said, "That's Kitty's home. That's a set. We built that." They fully built this home as a set in the studio. It was really cool. I've never seen anything like that. The gas station where Hub operates his workshop was next door to Kitty’s home. So you could film these long shots from the house to the gas station and keep all the equipment in one area to maximize time instead of having to move between stages.

DG __ You're a fan of the outdoors and the studio was an hour away from Atlanta. Were you able to take advantage of the location and explore the wilderness in your free time?

MJ __ There are some good hikes around that I wanted to go to as the Blue Ridge Mountains are right there. The issue was that I had a busy filming schedule and had to fly back and forth when I wasn't filming because I was fully enrolled at UCLA. You know what? If we get another season, depending on where we film, I'll definitely want to maximize that more because Georgia is so beautiful.  

DG __ One thing that stood out to me is how The Bondsman flips the usual narrative — the devil isn’t trying to destroy Earth but actually wants to protect it from demons escaping Hell. That’s an unexpected twist. What do you make of that reversal?

MJ __ We play a lot with the themes of second chances in this show. So, no one is truly evil or bad. You get that obviously with Hub getting a second chance at life. From my character's point of view, the father-son relationship gets a second chance. And there's this consistent through line of forgiveness. So maybe that has something not necessarily being pure evil in our show because the devil is a fallen angel. I don't know if we want to get too biblical into the whole mythology. I haven't had in-depth mythological discussions about what Eric has planned for future seasons, but I wouldn't be surprised if it relates to that. In my mind, I focus on the spin that Hell is this type of prison, and people can break free from it and less of this place where bad people go. It kind of modernizes the perception of it in a way.

DG __ As you mentioned the story is about reconciliation, trust, and second chances. What do you hope audiences take away from it when they reflect on their own relationships?

MJ __ My favorite thing about this show is that we kind of never close off a plotline completely. The relationship between Hub and Cade is cyclical and constantly changing. They're on good terms, and then Hub does something that pulls them apart. There's that constant tension of the music being a sore spot. I think it really does mirror real life and that relationships are never set; they're constantly changing and evolving, and it's all about people interacting in ways that alter their perceptions of each other. So, I would say that the biggest thing that I want people to take away from the show is that, just as in our show, relationships are never completely set in stone. And that's real life, and it's all about working through the conflicts. Obviously, the stakes are a little higher in The Bondsman because of the demons. But everybody has their own demons. It's about leaning on the people you trust and love beyond their flaws and figuring out ways to get through it together.

THE MAKING OF PRIVATE THRONE

Photographer Kevin Sinclair, Fashion Editor Oretta Corbelli, Interviewer David Gargiulo, Groomer Stephanie Lockwood (Exclusive Artists), Stylist Assistant Allegra Gargiulo, Actor Maxwell Jenkins (Platform PR)