Interviews
Five Questions with Drew Van Acker
03 March 2022
Drew Van Acker stars as Jake in the sci-fi thriller Last Survivors, directed by Drew Mylrea. Van Acker has performed in Pretty Little Liars (2011-2016), Titans (2019) and Spy Intervention (2020).
1. What is it about Jake that drew you to play him?
Jake is a deeply feeling young man who has suffered immensely throughout his life, only he doesn’t know it. From the beginning I thought that was really intriguing. Diving into the mind of someone who is suffering from arrested development and all the while doesn’t know why. Jake leads with his heart and shares an optimism I have for the world.
2. Is the post-apocalyptic world in Last Survivors how you imagined it one to be?
Not necessarily, Jake and Troy live in a certain utopia, and for some, this is paradise.
3. The characters are very complicated in Last Survivors, were there moments during filming that you had to process the character’s decisions with fellow actors?
Yes, absolutely! I keyed in on Jake from the beginning through his mother. That was my “in”. I felt Jake was more his mother than his father and I always kept going back to her. And so throughout filming, I found myself tracking Jake, making sure every single expression or movement or tone would be his and his alone. Would his mother approve? I found that being able to bounce certain ideas or intonations off of Stephen and Alicia was paramount for me to bring Jake to life.
4. What does your personal utopia look like?
I am someone who enjoys being in nature with a bit of solitude. A bit of adventure. A bit of exploration. So for me, whether it’s the beach or the mountains, as long as my fiancé and dog are along for the ride. I’m content.
5. What are you currently working on?
I am producing now, and currently working on the finishing touches for prep on a sci-film called Back Home.
Last Survivors takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where Troy (Stephen Moyer) raised his now grown son, Jake (Drew Van Acker), in a perfect wooded utopia thousands of miles away from the decayed cities. When Troy is severely wounded, Jake is forced to travel to the outside world to find life-saving medicine.
Last Survivors is out now on Digital and DVD March 9.