Busy Jake Busey on Freakish, Ray Donovan, The Predator and Bluegrass Spirits

Jake Busey is enjoying the creative challenges of his craft, interpreting unusual roles with his signature style and enthusiasm. If you recognize the surname, yes, he's the son of actor Gary Busey, but Jake is very much his own actor when it comes to his choices and interpretations on screen. He's excited about making and doing more of them in film.

As a child, he absorbed the vibes from his dad's film sets and musical pursuits, and he debuted in the film, Straight Time, in 1978. You may know his work in the films Contact with Jodie Foster and in Starship Troopers, H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and many more. Jake is also a singer and guitarist and played in the band, Sons of the Lawless.

Known for his often outrageous character roles in the horror genre, he's particularly excited about a new project, shooting in Kentucky, that's taking him in new artistic directions, and he tells us more in this interview.

You're in the second season of Freakish, the 10-episode horror series on Hulu. You're playing Earl. I read that Earl is ruthless, immoral and has a penchant for knives. Is that a good description?

That sums it up. He was an armchair survivalist before the apocalypse. Once that hit, the door was open for him to reinvent himself and become the dictator he always wanted to be.

My character doesn't show up until a couple of episodes into the series. It was a good summer job! I'm one of the older guys, which is new for me.

And you're in the movie, Dead Ant, with Tom Arnold and Sean Astin. This creature feature sounds like a raucous and rowdy time. What else should we know?

I'm the lead singer in a glam rock band, "Sonic Grave," making a comeback at Coachella. I play a guy who has more confidence than talent. We're warned not to kill any living things on an Indian reservation, but soon, giant ants are chasing the band.

I can't help but ask the spoiler question: Do the ants win, or do you?

Of course we do. Glam metal prevails!

The first Predator was 1987. Now we have a fourth installment, a sequel, and you share the screen with Olivia Munn, Edward James Olmos and Sterling K. Brown. And you're playing the son of the character your father played in Predator 2.

It's an honor to play that, a real treat. I'm very blessed and thankful to have been a part of it and hope it can continue on one level or another. Hopefully, I make the final cut of the film—I am a loose cannon after all…

You are doing a few fun things, Jake. You are Acid Man in Season 5 of Ray Donovan now streaming on Showtime Sunday nights. (The season finale is tonight.)

Well, that was the most absurd audition I ever had, with me going more manic, more crazy than ever. I get to play a great character and did it for the experience and for the fun I had.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

At my core, I always wanted to be in the position Ben Stiller is, or Adam Sandler, or Bradley Cooper. I was on that path at the end of the '90s, and I sabotaged my career and derailed my train. I'm working my way back.

What else are you doing that really excites you? I hear you're shooting a film in Lexington, Kentucky—melding the themes of modern-day bourbon production with ghost-hunting.

Yes, I'm doing an independent film, a drama called Bluegrass Spirits. It's about a recovering alcoholic craft bourbon distiller trying to keep his business afloat. He ends up doing ghost tours at the distillery, but he's hesitant because of the death of his sister. He gets on with life as he gets out of the purgatory spaces of alcohol and mourning. It's an awesome lead character who's very relatable, and a big departure for me that I think will help transform my career toward more solid dramatic acting.

You're a husband and father. How's that experience for you?

My daughter, Autumn, is magnificent. She's extremely talented, outgoing, and a wonderful singer and dancer. She's the next Demi Lovato! It's so great to witness her life, a beautiful thing. It is all so rewarding.

When you're not on set, what's your workout routine now?

I ride bikes, use the elliptical trainer and avoid impact because of my back. I can't really run now. My favorite workout is paddle boarding, great for the core and upper body.

You have taken really good care of your skin.

I stayed out of the sun for a long time and I haven't aged normally. For about 10 years I looked 28 and all of a sudden I went from late 20s to somewhere in my 40s, almost overnight.

Education about skin cancer awareness has come a long way in the past two decades. When I was a kid people told me to spend more time in the sun. Nobody said, "You're a little white kid with 95 percent Scandinavian blood, so wear sunscreen and stay out of the sun." But I ultimately did that, just for comfort and to protect against skin cancer. Sun really does age you. My friend who tanned looks 10 years older than I do—I'd burn and then turn white again.

How do you take care of your mental self?

I meditate when I'm paddle boarding. I don't sit with fingers in a circle, resting on my knees. I also think a lot when I'm building motorcycles—how I can make my life better, be more healthy and aware, and also have fun.

Mind Your Body with Stephanie Stephens features celebrities and high achievers age 45+ who share their latest projects, healthy living secrets and more.