Some people might remember him for his role in the Twilight saga films.
However, 10 years later, actor and former Midland resident Jackson Rathbone very much remains active with his recent film “Condor’s Nest” now showing in theaters and on-demand.
Rathbone, who in addition to being an actor is also a producer and musician, has starred in over 25 motion pictures including “Twilight” and “The Last Airbender.”
Since then, he has crossed genres, spending his time working on his passion including indie films.
Rathbone lived in Midland from grades 6th-11th before transferring out to boarding school for theatre in Michigan. He attended Trinity High School while in the Tall City and got his start in theater at Midland Community Theatre.
“That’s when I started my love of theatre and acting,” Rathbone said in a phone interview earlier this week.
When talking about his time in Midland, Rathbone said he has nothing but respect for where his acting career started.
“Midland Community Theatre is an amazing program,” Rathbone said. “The woman who helped me start was a great family friend who has since passed away, sadly, but she made sure that Odessa and Midland had a great arts culture that we can all come together and watch the freaks and weirdos of West Texas like me.”
His role in his new film is villain.
The plot of “Condor’s Nest” surrounds an American war veteran named Will Spalding (played by Jacob Keohane) who has tracked down the sadistic Nazi colonel who executed his bomber crew during World War II to a remote location in South America.
However, he is in for more than he bargained for when he uncovers a secret Nazi headquarters known as the “Condor’s Nest.”
“’Condor’s Nest’ is a criminal homage, World War II film,” Rathbone said. “It’s a revenge, action film about a man who served in World War II who has gone back to find some of the Nazis who escaped after the war and he tracks them down.”
Rathbone’s character is an evil character named “Fritz Ziegler.”
“I play one of the most evil characters in the film which is a young Hitler Youth member who grew up idolizing the Third Reich and all that,” Rathbone said. “Now he’s leaving in South America but he’s not hiding that much because he enjoys his evil.”
The film is rated R and was written and directed by Phil Blattenberger and also stars Arnold Vosloo (“The Mummy”), Michael Ironside (Top Gun), Jorge Garcia (‘LOST’), James Urbaniak (‘Venture Bros’) and Academy Award nominee Bruce Davison (‘X-Men’).
“It was a bit of a crazy performance,” Rathbone said. “The director and I wanted to showcase some of the methamphetamine use by the Nazis so we amped up the performance. When you see my character, it’s just a blaze of energy that pulls the film forward for the next couple of acts.”
The movie has a deep connection to Texas; most significantly, it features several prominent scenes shot in Conroe with the B-17 bomber.
Rathbone has described the movie as a “run and gun film.”
“For a picture that looks as big as this, you’d be surprised by how small the crew and the set was,” Rathbone said. “In my parts, we filmed in North Carolina and it looks just like South America. They did a great job with the set. But I crammed all of my filming in two days. I came in and got my filming done in two days. It was pretty hectic. It was kind of crazy. As soon as I was done filming, I shaved that dirty mustache off my face because I did not feel comfortable looking that way in public.”
When asked about what kind of movie genres he prefers, Rathbone said he’s partial to thrillers and sci-fi in his personal life when he consumes media.
“But when I make a film, I really love to focus on the character and focus really on what my character can do for the story,” Rathbone said. “I like to serve the story overall and hopefully whatever piece I play in that puzzle of the story fits and helps tell the bigger picture.”
Rathbone may now reside in Los Angeles, but says he still has friends that live in Midland.
“I try to get back when I can,” Rathbone said. “My schedule is pretty busy. I have three kids. It’s always hard to travel. But whenever I can travel, I like to go out and visit Europe and South America. I try to bring my family whenever I can on vacation.”
“Condor’s Nest” was released last week in theaters and on demand and Rathbone encourages everyone to see it.
“People should check it out because it’s a wonderful revenge movie from the 50s, post World War II and it’s going to take people for a ride,” Rathbone said. “It’s a wonderful film and it’s an homage to a lot of World War II films that a lot of us grew up watching.”
