Interview: Actor Turned New Jersey Congressional Candidate Matt Jenkins

Twenty years ago, Matt Jenkins was living in New York City and pursuing the life of an actor. A college graduate with some heady (and heavy) degrees, the MENSA-smart model spent his days auditioning and going to every kind of acting class he could find, from scene study to vocal technique to dance. And even though he applied his tenacity to day jobs and self-owned businesses, over the years, the health and fitness fanatic always found himself back in acting class.

These days, Matt Jenkins finds himself at a campaign event, every day - sometimes a lot of campaign events every day. You see, Matt Jenkins is running for office.

Mr. Jenkins left behind his career in show business a few years ago to make a living for his family, because an actor's life doesn't always support a family of four. So the one-time acting classs devotee found himself teaching class - a bootcamp class, an abs class, a stretch class, and a lot of other classes, including one-on-one personal training classes. As a gym manager and health and fitness specialist, Matt found himself with many grateful students, including some personal trainers that he coached into their new careers.

But now it is time for Jenkins to make a new career for himself.

A resident of The Garden State, Matt Jenkins and his partner, Alison De Noia, have been very active in local government over the years, and in 2022 the couple decided that it was time to take their interests in making their district better to a new level, and the twosome launched Matt's campaign for Congress in New Jersey. For these last several months the newcomer to the political arena has garnered support, followers, and the attention of other high-ranking political officials in his state.

As the election draws near, this reporter and supporter asked Matt Jenkins to share a little of his story as an actor-turned-politician with our readers. He's one of the good guys, a White Hat, if you will, and the people deserve to know it, as the Season of Voting approaches.

This interview was conducted digitally and is reproduced with minor edits.

Matthew Jenkins, welcome to Broadway World!

Hello. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

You were a New York City actor for many years, but for the last decade or so you have been working in the health and fitness industry. Was it a difficult decision to put aside your show business aspirations?

It was something that happened slowly. It's always a challenge to find the money and the time. I had a construction company that I was closing down, so, as business slowed, I had time and, of course, the money I had saved. It is a difficult combination to conceive. Most of the time you can have either one, but rarely both. I received a job opportunity out of town, unrelated to being an artist, that I could not pass up. It was only for a few months, but living your life always seems to get in the way of living your life. In the blink of an eye, I was working 9-5. I have trouble dabbling. When I go in, I go all in. I know to gain real skills takes long hours. Hours I no longer had.

In the name of transparency, you and I have known each other for twenty-two years. Other than my husband, I don't know anyone who loves going to acting class more than you. Have you missed it, since leaving the industry?

When we start out we all have dreams of "Making it". Once I had surrounded myself with the right people, I loved the work. In a scene study class, you get a partner; I would have seven. I would rent space with people and work on all kinds of skills. I had a vocal coach and a singing coach. I took Tap, Jazz, and Ballet. I took clowning classes, and anything else that seemed interesting. I loved being completely immersed. I was working on a one-man show, "Herringbone" - there are 13 characters, with one being a tap dancing little person, which is what brought me to tap class. I could have been silly about it and faked it and imagine it would have worked, but I thought about how hard so many work to be skilled tap dancers. It didn't seem right to me that I would fake it, so off to class, I went.

In a life that has had several pivots, you recently decided to enter the political arena. You are now running for the US House of Representatives to represent Congressional District 4 in New Jersey, with an election just weeks away. Tell me about the decision to go into politics.

I like to think everyone wants to have a positive impact on the world around them. I have volunteered on soup lines and helped where I could, but I wanted to do more. I took a look at my education, work experience, and business experience and this is where it brought me. As a scientist, I am obsessed with facts, and I am an experienced researcher. In my business, I had many people from all walks of life that needed to work together to see projects to fruition. After completing a program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, I knew this was where I could, best, apply my skills and experience.

You're a New Jersey native who, even when living in New York City, has always had family in the Garden State. How much has family, heritage, and history played in your decision to run for congress?

I'm always looking for how things can be improved, whether it's traffic patterns or better using resources to help those in need. I feel like I see mismanagement everywhere. I also believe that the only time you should be saying, "Someone should do something," is when you are looking in the mirror. I've bought vehicles that I have made better. I was able to buy the house I grew up in and made that better. The opportunity to make my community better for everyone is really exciting.

A political race requires a great deal of public speaking. Are you a natural orator?

Not even close.

Outline for me some of the ways in which your acting training, and your former life in show business, has helped prepare you for this congressional run.

The experience of performing in front of crowds is far behind me. I was a bit surprised at how hard it was to get in front of people again. The biggest advantage is, now, I don't focus on what I want to say, but on what I need people to hear. We sing when speaking is not enough. We dance when singing is not enough. The words are the same, but it is about telling the story. It was actually a clowning class that taught me to read the audience in real-time and feel how they were perceiving what I was doing. When you get a laugh you lean into it a bit. When something falls flat: "Moving on!!" I love facts and details, but the crowd's eyes will just gloss over. I focus on the story that needs to be heard.

For a while you were roommates with a famous trans artist and activist, you have many friends who are members of the queer community, you are a family man both at home and in your community of friends, and a large part of your campaign platform is the rights of others. How did your life in show business inform your awareness of other people's rights, and the need to protect them?

I had known a few trans women before (actually we have all probably known several trans people without realizing it). I never asked to use her name so I won't mention it here, but she actually transitioned while living with me. I appreciated the fact that she felt comfortable enough to do so. It's always odd to my ear when I hear others, especially me, talk about the LGBTQ community. I always just have a flash of some of my friends' faces when I hear it. The idea that they would have rights that would differ from mine, in any way, is absurd, but I have always felt that way, for as long as I can remember. We should all have a fair shake in this world. For too many, that is not the case, and it is up to the rest of us to make that right.

You mentioned that you have been a business owner. Since the pandemic, a lot of people have struck out on their own. What can Congress do locally to help business owners?

One of the biggest headaches for me, and I know for many, is simply knowing what the rules are, at any given time. Business owners want to spend all their time on this thing they love, not endless hours setting up the official side of a business. What a business owner needs are the rules spelled out simply, with people behind the counters with the knowledge needed to make the experience as painless as possible. For my business, there were many government agencies I had to deal with, on a regular basis. Too often, the person working didn't know what I needed. I would take special care to follow all the rules, but more than a few times I would receive scary letters, threatening to close me down because I was running afoul of the rules, only to find out I didn't sign some paper I wasn't told I had to sign. When you break free of the corporate world, and all its imagined stability, it can be scary. Dealing with that part of a business can be a full-time job and it can be a terrible drain on a new business owner.

Matt, why do you want to be a Congressman so much?

As I stated earlier I want to leave this world a better place than how I found it and I would love to make it better for others around me. Looking at my education, skills, and experience this is a place I will have a real impact.

If I asked you to do one of your old audition monologues or songs right now, would you be able to still do them?

Not from start to finish. The words are just not there. I will tell you that, not too long ago, someone asked me about a play I did. My character was an emotional wreck, having lost his young daughter, and he, of course, feels responsible. In the middle of my telling, I burst into tears! The words were not there, but the story most certainly still lives within me.

Matt Jenkins, thank you so much for chatting with us today. Good luck with the race, I hope you win.

No Stephen, Thank you. I enjoyed this walk down memory lane. It was my pleasure.

All of the pertinent Matt Jenkins links can be seen below.

To donate to Matt Jenkins' campaign click HERE.

Commercial: Click HERE.

Website: Click HERE.

TikTok commercial: Click HERE.

Twitter commercial: Click HERE.

Facebook: Click HERE.

Instagram: Click HERE.

Read more about Matt Jenkins HERE.