By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
March 31, 2015
For a generation of fans, Jason Hervey will be remembered as Fred Savage’s obnoxious older brother, Wayne, on “The Wonder Years.” While Hervey has continued to act, he has built a career behind the scenes as a producer. His latest project is WGN America’s docudrama “Outlaw Country,” which he created and executive produced. “People are often surprised when they find out what I’m up to these days,” says Hervey, 42. “I think no matter what I do, I’ll always be remembered as Wayne. I take that as a huge compliment. That show was wonderful and it was great to be a part of.”
Q. Where do you most get recognized as Wayne?
A. Mostly the United States, but also in Europe, especially in places like Paris or London. And in Germany, they’ll say I look familiar to them. It’s fun to watch the show dubbed in other languages and hear other actors voicing me.
Q. Can you speak any foreign languages?
A. I’m still trying to master my first language! (Laughs) My children have taken Spanish for a couple years. I certainly don’t speak it, but I know a few words and can understand some of it. But I am by no means bilingual.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. I remember the first trip that I ever took was a vacation with my mom, dad and brother. We got in the back of the station wagon and went down to San Diego. There was a way back area in the car that looked like a trunk and when you unfolded it, two sets of seats would pop up facing each other. That’s where my brother and I sat — in the way back. It was always fun going back there ‘cause we always found old gum, Saltine crackers and snacks. We didn’t care that it was stale. We just enjoyed our little buffet back there. We didn’t wear seat belts back then, either. We might as well have been strapped to the hood.
Q. Have your children traveled with you since they were young?
A. Yes. I travel so much for work, that the last thing I wanted to do when traveling personally was do so without my children. So they were always included anywhere that my wife and I went. We always factor in what might be fun for them when we plan a trip.
Q. Do you prefer road trips with your family or flying?
A. If there’s not a lot of time, we will fly, since we don’t want to miss too much work or school. But we do like taking a lot of road trips, too. They are a really nice way to see America. We live in Nashville and it’s such a beautiful area. We will head to Louisiana, Mississippi or just explore Nashville. We love to stay at these cool plantation-like B-and-Bs. We all love the paranormal stuff, too, so we’re on the lookout for some interesting places. The more haunted a place might be, the better. It’s all fun. We try to eat well at home, but on road trips we definitely have our menu of junk that usually consists of Skittles, Starbursts, beef jerky, corn nuts and Slurpees. By the end, we’re ready to eat healthy again!
Q. Why did you relocate from Los Angeles to Nashville?
A. Mostly for quality of life. It’s a great place to raise children. It was a smooth transition and I was excited to do it. I have an incredibly small group of really good friends down here that has become like family. My next-door neighbor is a super good friend. He’s literally like a MacGyver who can build and fix anything out of nothing. When my son and I can’t figure something out, we either Google it or call Eric.
Q. What is still on your travel bucket list?
A. I definitely want to go to Italy, specifically Rome. I want to get to Tuscany. I think it would be so amazing on so many different levels — the food, the culture, everything. I would love to take my family to Dubai. I’ve been there before, but I think it’d be like a first time seeing it with my wife and kids. It’s an amazing and beautiful part of the world. I was actually a guest of the royal family there and they were so gracious.
Q. You mentioned wanting to enjoy the food in Italy. Are you an adventurous eater?
A. I like to pretend that I’m a semi-adventurous eater. But then I get abroad and when it comes right down to it, I’m absolutely most content eating American-style food. I love steak and potatoes and grilling. I also love pasta, though, so I think it would be fun to try all the different kinds of pasta in Italy and see how it was really supposed to be made.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. I love Chicago, New Orleans, Nashville, New York and San Diego.
© 2015 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
