If there’s one thing Jonathan Bennett has mastered, it’s the art of never saying no to a good opportunity—or a good adventure. More than twenty years after Mean Girls made him a household name, Bennett is still finding new ways to keep us entertained, from Broadway and General Hospital to hosting Halloween Wars and starring in Hallmark Christmas movies. He’s also a cookbook author, producer, dedicated traveler, and self-professed lover of Paris, proving that there’s no such thing as too many projects when you’re doing what you love. Or, as Jonathan puts it: there’s something pretty wonderful about being tired from the life you dreamed about. The Overhead Compartment caught up with Bennett to talk about career reinvention, Broadway magic, Christmas-movie secrets, and the travel essentials he never leaves home without.
The Overhead Compartment with Jonathan Bennett starts now…
OC:You have gone from being Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls to Broadway, television, producing and hosting. When you look at that journey, did you ever imagine your career would take all these different turns?
JB:I knew that I always wanted to do everything, I just never imagined it would all work out. But that comes from relentless hard work and doing things that I was afraid to try. It’s funny how much we tell ourselves we can’t do something, and then the moment you stop believing that, your whole world opens up. My favorite saying is, get out of your own way. And that’s what I did.
OC:You’ve said starring on Broadway was a lifelong dream and now you’ve done it with Spamalot. How did the reality compare to the dream?
JB:Broadway is what I wanted to do since I was 5-years-old, and let me tell you that it is even better than I could have ever imagined. It’s the one thing in life that has exceeded even my wildest expectations. There’s nothing to describe it, it’s magic.
OC:After years of being known as the Mean Girls heartthrob, how do you react when people ask you about Aaron Samuels?
JB:Being Aaron Samuels forever is a blessing. I know a lot of actors try to lean away from roles they’ve played. But the truth is, there’s no escaping Aaron. Mean Girls isn’t just a movie, it’s a part of people’s lives. They speak it, they quote it, they dress up as it, and that makes me happy that they get such joy out of it. Why on earth would you want to lean away from something that brings so much joy to so many people. So I love and I will always take a selfie and let you ask me what day it is. 100% of the time.
OC:You’ve become such a natural host, from Halloween Wars to Finding Mr. Christmas. What do you love about hosting that you don’t find from acting?
JB:I think what I love about hosting so much, is that I get to show all of me when I’m doing it. All the hyper, quirky, random, stupid, silly things I do in real life, that I would normally have to strip away for a character, I get to let it fly. And people seem to like it. What a good gig to have, right? Getting paid to just be yourself. And when you play yourself, there’s no messing it up. Except for some horrible dad jokes, that end up on the editing floor.
OC:You’ve returned to your daytime roots with General Hospital. What was it like walking back onto a soap set after all these years?
JB:What a joy it has been to come back to daytime. They always say go back to your roots, and that’s what I’ve done. The people and GH are incredible, and the fans are the best in the world. I love them all so much, even when they are coming at me for things my character did. That actually makes me happy and I get a kick out of it, because when people have an emotional reaction to something you did on TV, then you’ve won. That’s the point of acting isn’t it? To make people feel something.
OC:You’ve also become synonymous with Hallmark Christmas movies. At this point, do you have a secret formula for making the perfect Christmas movie?
JB:I don’t hold the formula, much like the recipe for Coca Cola, the formula and secret sauce that makes Hallmark Christmas movies so special and different is guarded in a high tower in Burbank. Only the elite executives get access to it. But I do believe that we make the best Christmas movies. When you watch Christmas movies on other streamers, they are always missing that special thing you can’t explain. That’s the Hallmark sauce.
OC:Between Halloween Wars, Hallmark, Broadway and General Hospital, you juggle a lot. What do you in your downtime?
JB:I wish I had down time. If I’m being honest, I don’t get a lot of downtime, and when I do I’m usually developing my next project. But what a blessing it is to be tired from the life you dreamed about. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.
OC:Food has become such a big part of your career, from Halloween Wars to your cookbook. What is the one dish you can make that you know will impress people every single time?
JB:My mom’s Chicken Stuffed Shells in the Burn Cookbook is hands down the best recipe in there. I have had thousands of people message me after making them telling me that they’ve become a kitchen staple for their house and I believe it. They are that good.
OC:You’ve spent a good part of your career traveling for work. What city do you always get excited to see on the itinerary?
JB:I know this sounds cliché, but you can’t beat Paris. It lives up to all the hype and you never get bored there. No matter how many times I go, it’s always magical. If you can eat at the top of the Eiffel Tower, do it. It’s a core memory for me.
OC:First thing you do when you get to your hotel room?
JB:Well, if I’m with my husband, he usually takes wipes and wipes down all the handles, switches, and surfaces. He’s a clean freak, and afraid of germs as well. So no matter the hotel, he wipes it all down. If I’m by myself, usually I fall onto the bed in all my clothes and knock out for 20-minutes. Then I see how fast the Wifi is, to see if I’ll be able to work from the room. Then I get to work.
OC:Complete the sentence: I never leave home without:
JB:The blue medicated chapstick brand ChapStick. It’s what I use all day, everyday.
Jonathan Bennett, please use care upon departure as items may have shifted in The Overhead Compartment during our journey. Thanks for choosing us for your travel tips! Have a wonderful day!
