Film 2 Live

Not only  is Austin's film going to be a part of the Austin Film Festival,

 My film, STROKER, is screening at the @austinfilmfest. I'm honored to be included. Come see me in Austin, TX this October.  - AUS10

but so is Austin --- live!

 We're very pleased to announce AUSTIN NICHOLS (@AUS10NICHOLS), our first cast member in #FLARSKY! @theblcklst - AUS10

 Austin will be joining the annual staged script reading that will feature the comedy Flarsky, by Dan Sterling (writer The Office, The Interview) in a live event co-presented by The Black List.

The cast also includes Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk with Me), Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), and Austin's former Full Count/Lenexa 10 mile co-star Jason Ritter .

"Flarsky is a romantic comedy about a decent guy, battered by misfortune and his own self-destructive ways, who endeavors to romantically pursue the most powerful woman on earth."

Fred Flarsky is - or was - a progressive opinion columnist at a dying local paper who devoted most of his work to attacking Alistair Wembley, the sinister chairman of a global media conglomerate. Fred is now unemployed, broke, single, getting late into his 30's, and has a worrisome pill and booze habit. He, like the rest of the world, is infatuated with the current United States secretary of state, Charlotte Field. She's gorgeous, charismatic, and far more politically skillful than her embattled, feckless president. 

Fred's lived with his Charlotte Field-infatuation longer than most people. Growing up, Charlotte was his baby-sitter. But that was an eternity ago and they haven't seen each other since Fred was a child. She's since become American royalty, married a high profile senator, and no doubt has forgotten who Fred even is. Between that and the counter-assault team that travels with her, she's pretty much the most inaccessible, unobtainable woman on the planet. The only thing Fred and Charlotte have in common at this point is that they're both enemies of Alistair Wembley.

But Fred's friend, Lance, believes there's hope. Lance is a transcendently optimistic person, but he's also sharp, and he sees a narrow but plausible path to victory for Fred. With a combination of relentless insistence and well-meaning trickery, Lance gets the virtually homeless Fred Flarsky to pursue the married, de facto leader of the free world.

Past readings have included staged presentations of unproduced screenplays such as Vince Gilligan's 2 Face, Shane Black's The Nice Guys, Maggie Carey's The To-Do List, and an unaired episode of David Milch's Luck, written by Eric Roth.

Words of War

Jake joined others tonight for the Words of War benefit for Headstrong, a non-profit organization that provides cost-free and bureaucracy-free mental health care treatment to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with PTSD and TBI.

 A good crowd came out for an evening of spoken word for a great cause.

Jake was all smiles with  decorated veteran and  the Executive Director of the Headstrong Project, Zach Iscol.

Jake reading Wilfred Owen's Dulce Et Decorum Est




Dulce Et Decorum Est

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Wilfred Owen
8 October 1917 - March, 1918

Wilfred Owen is recognized as the greatest English poet of the First World War. The poem was written in 1917 and published posthumously in 1920. The poem is known for its horrific imagery and condemnation of war. It was drafted at Craiglockhart in the first half of October 1917 and later revised, probably at Scarborough but possibly Ripon, between January and March 1918. The earliest surviving manuscript is dated 8 October 1917 and addressed to his mother, Susan Owen, with the message "Here is a gas poem done yesterday, (which is not private, but not final)".

Read On

He's not only Memorex,  he's live.

Jake is reading for a good cause live at IAC HQ - 555 West 18th Street

in NYC on May 8th. 

Jake will be reading war poety live at Words of War a cocktail event to benefit The Headstrong Project.

"The Headstrong Project began treating military veterans in August 2012 and will be using funds raised from this event to expand care to veterans and their families.

 In partnership with media partners Google, Newsweek/Daily Beast, and Pixel Corps, Words of War will also benefit Team Rubicon, Team RWB, and Student Veterans of America.

These organizations have all been incredibly effective at buildings communities of veterans - a strong antidote to the effects of PTSD and moral injuries."

Also joining in the event is Adam Driver (from HBO’s Girls and the movie Lincoln) and Joanne Tucker of Theater of War who will perform a scene from Sophocles’ Ajax, a play that illustrates the timeless psychological effects of war.

 In the past few years Jake has participated in several events to benefit and thank the troops for their service and sacrifice. 

And we know he's not the only one in the house to give back to those who serve.

Three-fer Reader

Well it didn't take long to find out what Jake was reading out loud next,  because it's already out.

Slipping under the radar is the news that Jake has recorded a trio of classic children's stories for the Nook.


All three are Caldecott Medal-winners by the author & illustrator Robert McCloskey.

In the official Children's Book of Massachusetts, Make Way for Ducklings, Jake reads the tale of the Mallard family of ducks living in the famed Boston Public Garden and trying to cross street with the help of a friendly policeman.

In Blueberries for Sal, it's a trip to the  Maine coast as a little girl named Sal is on a whimsical blueberry picking adventure.

And  in One Morning in Maine, it's more adventures with Sal who spends the day exploring Buck’s Harbour with her dad—and even finally loses her pesky loose tooth along the way.

There is something endearing at the thought of Jake quacking like Mrs. Mallard's ducklings, or making the kerplunk sound of the blueberries dropping in Sal's pail, and him reading the adventures of Sal and her father fishing and exploring the Maine coast.

And most endearing that there probably wasn't much practice needed for the recording, because Jake's shared these books out loud many many times already.

This project of Jake's was done so quietly it's a wonder that anyone knew he did it. Wonder why it was eased out without much fanfare?

Maybe instead those Goosey goslings are more like ducklings and maybe headed up for the Duckling Parade held every Mother's Day in Boston's Public Garden recreating the crossing the street of Mrs. Mallard and her 8 ducklings.

And don't worry about it Austin, there is a McCloskey book for you to read out loud too:

Because if you can do this about coffeecake

Then Homer Price and the donut machine shouldn't be a problem.

Read - you're it

 Now that Jake's  read a children's book and a classic novel,  it's time to branch out. What will he read next?

Top Ten Audio Projects Jake will do next:

10. Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins

9. The Jumbles in the Comics Section

8. What to Expect When You are Expecting

7. The picture directions to the IKEA Hemnes 8 Drawer Dresser

6.  I, Toto: The Autobiography of Terry, the Dog who was Toto by Willard Carroll

5. Don't Hassel the Hoff: The Autobiography by David Hasselhoff

4.  A Night Without Armor : Poems by Jewel

3. The police blotter from the Anamosa, Iowa newspaper, The Anamosa Journal Eureaka

2. Mr. T: The Man With the Gold : An Autobiography of Mr. T by Mr. T.

and the number one audio project next for Jake:

1. Monthly PTA minutes from NYC PS218

A Good Read

Just a few weeks ago, while Jake was filming Prisoners he went into the studio to record.  But record what?

A rap album about  kale?

A soulful interpretation of the song stylings of  Mrs.  Miller?

Or maybe stand up comedy album ?

Nope, nope and nope.  He went back to the classics.

Jake recorded an audio book for  F.Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatbsy.

It is no coincidence that this new audio book is coming out in preview of new film version by director Baz Lurhmann.  And two of it stars are former co-stars and friends of Jake,  Carey Mulligan and Tobey McGuire.

 Jake takes on the voice by Nicholas "Nick" Carraway, the narrator of the story of his mysterious neighbor in West Egg, Long Island, Jay Gatsby and his cousin Daisy Buchanan and those in his new circle of friends and acquaintances.

The audio book comes out on Tuesday your can pre-order it here and right now you can hear a preview of Jake reading the opening of the classic novel:



Hmmm Nick, from Long Island. 

Never pictured Jake as Nick.  He seems more Jay

 ........ Austin as Nick ...yeah could see that

Daisy?  Daisy who.

Reading is FUNdemental

Jake is popping up on another children's program for PBS this year, and this one is a little familiar or is that familial?




Jake is part of this clip promoting reading on the new The Electric Company show this season. How is it so familiar or familial to him? Mom G was a senior producer for The Electric Company, where she worked with Morgan Freeman as Easy Reader. Naomi spent two years traveling the country, seeing all the different ways people were taught to read as they developed the Easy Reader component of the show.. So it has come full circle Mother/son with Jake promoting reading on the same show 30 plus years later. What better gift to give than the gift of reading, it opens whole new worlds.

This is Jake third childrens programming project this year, celebrating Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, along with Maggie, by getting to Sesame Street this season. And then there is his project with Shalom Sesame, teaching children about their Jewish heritage. Mom must be proud since, she was also a content producer for the original Sesame Street, and also created short, animated films. (If she was responsible for The Alligator King, lots of gold stars)

It's not the first time that Jake was involved in reading and kids, his first time was narrating the book The Man Who Walked Between The Towers. It's great that Jake is getting involved and giving back to the preschool set. Wonder if that familiar or familial? Or just a flock?



Funny how life works. Jake yelling in front of a background with guys in giant letters.




You just can't make this stuff up.