"I’ve always been jealous of those actors that can just show up"- When Jon Bernthal made his feelings clear about his motivation
Jon Bernthal has been quite a diverse actor in the past decades, having put on many different hats, be it in a television show or a movie. He has also taken up some very iconic roles like Frank Castle in The Punisher and Shane Walsh on the AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead. In the process, he has become a household name.
However, Jon Bernthal believes that he is different from other actors because he lacks the ability to just "show up." Rather, the actor claimed in an interview with Lena Dunham for Interview Magazine that his motivation is more fear-based. In this 2021 interview, the actor spoke about how his primary motivation was that he did not want to mess up in this profession. He said to Dunham:
"My motivation is often fear-based. I feel extraordinarily lucky to be doing this, and I really don’t want to f*ck up. I’ve always been jealous of those actors that can just show up. But the thing that I’ve found to be the biggest gift is the people I’ve gotten to meet along the way, and the people who have opened up to me and invited me into their worlds and shared their stories."
He further addressed this as he spoke more about researching his roles in this same interview with Lena Dunham.
Jon Bernthal opens up about researching roles before projects
Jon Bernthal has, of course, been a phenomenal actor, and no actor is good without sufficient research into a certain role. Bernthal does it very well and also in a unique way. The entire conversation where he revealed how his motivating factor differed from most other actors came up when Dunham asked him how he researched his roles.
After revealing his motivating factor, he further addressed this, adding:
"It’s sacred. It’s unbelievable how that informs the work. When we worked together, it was your story and it was coming from your heart, and I could really trust that. So the research was opening up my heart and being with you. When it’s two people working together as artists, it’s always going to be stronger than what you’re bringing in on your own. But you never know if you’re going to get that, so I dive in pretty full-on."
Regardless of how he does it, Bernthal has always been noted for his commitment to his roles in a way that few others would replicate. Perhaps not all of his films and shows have received equal acclaim, but the 48-year-old actor has never really been the reason for it.
His commitment to the craft has seen him get multiple awards and nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award for The Bear, one of the most successful shows in recent years.
He is also a part of the vast Marvel universe, where he plays The Punisher. He recently appeared in Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again (2025), which was also received with great critical acclaim.
Jon Bernthal is also set to appear in The Odyssey, one of the most anticipated projects currently in development.
