Written By: Jayme Face
We caught up with Jeff Teravainen on all things from future plans to how difficult it was for him to leave screen acting for some time to his awesome return to the screen in Hulu’s Utopia Falls! Utopia falls is a show set far into the future, but it can be streamed now!
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about Utopia Falls and your character?
Jeff Teravainen: Utopia Falls is set in around 500 years in the future after the cataclysmic great flash. Humans are very much on the backfoot. But they have survived in a Utopian society called New Babyl. At first glance everything seems to be peace and harmony. But as you go through the episodes, things are not as they seem. I play one of its leaders and also the Father of the main character. At the start of a musical competition run by the state, my Daughter uncovers an archive (voiced by Snoop Dogg) that tells the truth about the past. It opens her and her friends’ minds. They are especially attracted to rap music having never heard of it. There is a lot of conflict for my character as he is a leader with a Daughter he loves causing a great deal of trouble.
upfrontNY: How do you prepare to play a character that is set so far in the future? How do you connect with your character?
Jeff Teravainen: It is easy to play anything if you do your homework. For starters RT Thorne the Creator and Joe Mallozzi the show runner gave us a lot of info to go on. Then you just make up the back stories. What do they want in life? What is important. The same could be applied to playing an ancient Egyptian really. Whatever grounds you and makes you believe it.
upfrontNY: Music plays a huge part in Utopia Falls. Can you tell us more about that?
Jeff Teravainen: Well we begin with a friendly musical competition by the state for the best 16 year olds called The Exemplar. Around the same time, the kids discover a cave in a forbidden area that teaches them history, art and music. The kids are blown away by what they learn. And after singing rather lame songs of praise about the state, they are blown away by the rebelliousness of rap especially. They use it to try and open the society up. However, this does not sit well with the rulers.
upfrontNY: Even though Utopia Falls takes place far into the future do you think it reflects current society at all?
Jeff Teravainen: In some ways, Utopia Falls is a place that we can aspire to. There is peace and harmony. Things like race are not an issue. But a place like ours has a dirty underbelly. We have come so far as a society, but could go much more. In the show’s case, all that unity came with a loss of freedom.
upfrontNY: You did exclusively voice work for some time, what made you want to come back to the screen?
Jeff Teravainen: Thankfully that was only temporary! We had just had a baby and bought a house. then I got an offer to be the voice of one of our biggest networks. That meant they owned me pretty much. So I did what I thought was right and signed on. They would pretty much need me everyday, even during the holidays where I would take portable gear. I remember being in San Francisco for example parked on a hill in the car doing promos as school kids walked past me on their way to school. When it came time to re-sign with them I made it clear I needed to get back in front of the camera and it worked. I actually went into a deep depression when I agreed to do it. All my hopes and dreams were gone. It was tough. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love voice work! I just could not see the sense of giving one up.
upfrontNY: You have an upcoming short called A Dog Cried Wolf, can you tell us about that?
Jeff Teravainen: That is a great little short we shot a while back. The guys behind it are top cinematographers in music videos, commercials etc. You can tell as it is beautifully shot like we have millions of dollars for a budget. It is just hitting the festivals now so hopefully it will be available for wider audiences soon. The great dad which I play in Utopia Falls would be the opposite of who I play here! Again, trouble with my daughter, but this is a very dark story.
upfrontNY: You are a big traveler/adventurer. When the pandemic is over and it is safer to travel, where would be the first place you want to travel?
Jeff Teravainen: Cozumel for some serious scuba diving!! I am chomping at the bit. It is for sure one of my favorite things. Then a road trip to NYC!! I have some business to do there and I cannot believe how long it’s been since I have seen that beautiful city. Along the way we will do some fossil hunting upstate and visit one of my hero’s hometown, Binghamton. Rod Serling, creator of the Twilight Zone. My favorite show ever!
upfrontNY: You are involved in several charitable organizations; can you tell us about your involvement?
Jeff Teravainen: I try and do what I can. I personally love SickKids Hospital as I have seen how great they are. But I also support others like Big Life and Space for Giants and Vetpaw. They are excellent helpers of our endangered species.
upfrontNY: Is there anything else you would like to let our readers know?
Jeff Teravainen: I have some good things coming. I just can’t talk about them yet as we are in production. I got into this game late but I would say I love what I do so much. I wish I started earlier. It was never an easy road. But leaving my comfort zone led to some amazing things. With all the stuff going on with Covid, I would urge folks to use the downtime to think about trying new things that make them happy and satisfied. There has never been a better time for it really. And above all, stay safe!
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