‘Last Man Standing’s Jet Jurgensmeyer Teases a Bumpy Boys Trip & What’s Next for Boyd
Exclusive
It’s a new year, which means new episodes of Fox’s Last Man Standing and 2019 is kicking things off with a bang as Mike (Tim Allen), Ryan (Jordan Masterson), and Boyd (Jet Jurgensmeyer) prepare to spend some time together.
The trio will be at the center of the January 4 episode “Three for the Road,” and in the exclusive clip below, tension builds between Mike and Ryan when Boyd suggests they take a family trip.
Check out the clip below for a sneak peek:
For more on the latest installment, TV Insider spoke with 14-year-old Jurgensmeyer about what fans should expect from Friday’s episode, what’s to come in the new year, and whether he’ll be lending his musical ability to Boyd.
You have a big episode coming up this week with “Three for the Road.” What should fans expect from Boyd?
Jet Jurgensmeyer: Well, this episode is all about Boyd dragging along his dad and grandpa in a car going on a trip. So everybody who’s a fan of the show knows that his grandpa and dad don’t exactly get along all the time. I think you can just expect the usual Mike Baxter where he’s always making jokes and [ribbing] Ryan. At the end though, I think everybody’s gonna really like the whole story behind everything. I don’t want to spoil it cause it’s so good!
What else should fans anticipate from the rest of the season?
Tons of laughs. Tim Allen is just completely going off on this season. Everything he says is so funny and again, the usual Ryan-Mike back-and-forth. But actually I think a lot of people will grow to like Ryan a little bit more. I don’t want to say why, but they will. And Boyd… he’s Boyd so he’s always got problems going on whether it’s girls, his friends, or anything… it usually ends up going to Mike.
What’s it like getting to work with vets like Tim Allen and Nancy Travis?
Every single person on the show has welcomed me since day one, so I haven’t felt left out or anything because this is my first time on the show… I really wish that the audience could see the rehearsals cause it is so funny. The first script we get of the episode is not going to be what the fans see or what makes it on TV, so to just see them rewriting the script, it’s taught me a lot about the process and how it works. But every single episode that I’m in I always say, ‘Man if only the audience could see this!’
Is it nerve-wracking performing in front of a live audience?
It’s funny you ask that because I started off when I was 3 on stage at a restaurant that my parents owned at the time in Nashville, so I’ve always really kind of been used to getting up and talking to strangers. I think the most nerve-wracking part has been realizing that I’m on Last Man Standing [Laughs]… and hoping that everybody that works on the show was gonna like me.
Was there anyone that made you feel especially welcome on set?
Well, Amanda Fuller who’s my mom [on the show]. Right after they announced that I was the new Boyd, she immediately contacted me through Instagram and said “Hey Jet, it’s Amanda,” and she was just so nice. I hadn’t had anyone to reach out to me like that before. So to have her reach out and say “Hi, I can’t wait to work with you, I can’t wait to meet you.” And Molly McCook, who is also [new this] season, she and I also became friends before we met each other. So it was really nice to be able to realize before I was there, ‘OK, so I don’t have to be nervous about anything, they’re already welcoming me, I’ll just have a blast.’ And I have had a blast!
You’re a talented musical artist. Is there any chance that viewers may see Boyd belt out a tune or two?
I’m hoping! Not yet, as of right now. Some of the fans online have said that they want to hear Boyd sing or play the guitar, so I’m hoping that will come by in an episode. It was pretty fun because in the Christmas episode we all got to sing together, so I guess that’s a step in the right direction. But Tim [Allen] actually told me, he said, “We need to get you on the show and sing,” so I’m hoping that’ll happen one day.
You’ve done a lot of charitable work for The Ryan Seacrest Foundation. Has this role on Last Man Standing allowed for more of these opportunities?
I love being able to go in and see the smiles on the kids faces because that’s what I love to do. That’s why I love comedy so much because you do that every episode. So I hope this role is able to help me push out there and kinda give me more credibility in order to say, “Please follow me and help support whatever organization it is.”
Is there any previous acting role that helped prepare you best for Last Man Standing?
I’ve been acting since I was 4, so I’ve been working quite a bit. I’m 14 now, I always make the joke I think I’m stuck with acting because I’ve been doing it for so long. But I feel every role prepares you for the next and teaches you — whether it’s the role itself or actors or directors or producers that you get to work with. They’ve all helped me progress and if it wasn’t for those [roles], I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.
You were just on holiday break. Any shows you binged during your time off?
I don’t watch a whole lot of TV, only sometimes at night with my parents. But we do, every now and then, get on Netflix. I’m watching Riverdale right now, so I’m kinda hooked on that.
My parents and I, we usually get together and that’s our time to kind of hang out. We sit on the couch, we talk and watch TV – there’s all different kinds of shows. My dad, he’s a big Star Trek person, I’m a big Star Wars person, so we’ll always be debating on that.
Last Man Standing, Fridays, 8/7c, Fox
