Jesse McCartney Talks Family, Fatherhood, and His Dream Role

So you know on Instagram it's like Saturday night when you were in your 20s. Right. Getting ready pregaming. Right. And now it's like on the couch. Totally. Yeah. Going to bed drinking tea, mint tea and at 8:00 getting in bed early. Yeah. Tell me the beautiful wife Katie. Yeah. A perfect night in, what are you two doing? What are you watching?

Yeah, we're big, we're big chill on the couch and and watch Netflix. Sometimes we have to go separate TVs because she likes hardcore junk television. She's watching something on like Mormon life. Oh there's like a new reality. She's like a big reality person. Sure. I like documentaries. I'm watching the new James Cameron Explorers documentary about like getting more information on whales and she couldn't be more bored by that. So sometimes we have to split it up, but uh we love a good crime drama together. We love SVU.

Now, you and Katie, you are collaborating on a TV pilot. Yeah. So now that I know you both have different tastes, how is that going when you put pen to paper together?

We set that down about a year ago because of the music and touring but that is definitely still one of our goals. I think Katie and I really have a very similar sense of comedy and taste in comedy and she knows my strengths and I know her strength, so writing together is a lot of fun. We did a sketch series together on YouTube called the quarantined couple and we did like three or four episodes and it was just the two of us cooped up in the house together driving each other nuts. It's really fun to collaborate with your wife and, you know, somebody that you know and love so much. And the fact that she has that skill is really, it's great for me because I can sort of, you know, ping-pong with her and it's just great shooting ideas around. So I think at some point we would love to produce something together. And I think it would have to be comedy based because we both love that muscle so much. Yeah, we'll see, maybe next year.

How about acting? Is there one role you started as an actor that you want to kind of sink your teeth into? What kind of character would that be?

If I'm being honest, the more I think about it as I get older, I feel like it's going to have to be something I create and come up with on my own. It's very rare that you find great writing a but also a character that you connect with and feel like you're going to master that isn't somebody else's idea. I feel like usually writers and producers are always let down in some way. I love drama. I really, I've always loved it. I grew up doing a lot of drama, but as I get older, comedy is just becoming more and more fun for me. And I just love it and I think making people laugh is one of my favorite things on the planet. So I don't know. I think it would probably be some sort of comedic role I come up with. You know, I'm good with characters. I do a lot of character based stuff on social media. I don't know. I think it would have to be something like nobody expects, you know, just some really arbitrary character that no one expects from me.

I love that. Yeah. Jesse, you have a 25-year career. Do you remember the first hit song what you bought with that bigger check? Even it doesn't have to be like a Bentley but just anything where you felt like I can go out, I can buy anything because I'm feeling good right now.

I bought my mom a car. I bought my mom a car when I was like 18 or 19, which was like a huge moment, you know. I just remember Elvis back in the day buying Cadillacs for people and like thinking like that would be cool to do one day. So that was like probably my first real spendy purchase.

What kind of car was it?

It was a Lexus. It was like a two-seater Lexus. She still whips it around, takes takes Yeah, she's still whipping it around like 15 years later, so.

Do you love Elvis growing up, too?

Loved Elvis. Yeah, he was a huge inspiration. I loved his performing skills and just how he was able to connect with an audience and Yeah, certainly one of the greats.

Just from you telling that story, one of the tracks make a baby. Yeah. When the time comes, you're going to be a great dad. Because that's is Are you and Katie, are you ready for that chapter when it does come and are you ready to, you know,

I think we're ready more than ever. We're working on it right now. Um It's hard work, dude. It is hard work. It's hard work. And it's awkward work. Sometimes it's like I'm out like doing an interview and I'll get a call like you got to come home now.

Because she's checking her like ovulation, is that why?

Yeah. That that's it. So yeah, I think I think I'll be I think I think I'll be a good dad. I'm like a little nervous about all of the gross things like changing diapers and stuff. But we managed to keep a dog alive. So, you know, I think it's gonna be way harder but Yeah, the dog's still doing well. She's 16. So I think if I can get a kid to 17, like, you know, that'll be good.

You got the anniversary is October, you and Katie.

Yeah. October 21st. We'll be on the road.

Thank you for saying that cuz I would have forgotten the month. I'm helping you out here.

No, it's yeah. October will be three years. Wow. Yeah.

Will she be on the road with you?

She's going to come out for this run. She came out on the last one. I think she's going to kind of bounce around. It's also college football season and my wife and her family are big SEC college people. So she's got several games planned so she's going to like fly in and out She's got to go to some old miss games and, you know, she's got a very, very tight football schedule, but she comes out and sometimes it can be a lot being out on the road. It is not as glamorous as it seems. It's a lot of hard work. You're doing sometimes four or five shows a week and you're traveling in between. Your days off are just spent in bed sleeping for 12 hours at a time. It's a lot different now, too, than it was in my 20s. In my 20s, I would like go out after the show, go to bars, hang out with the band, stay up late. And now I'm in bed early. My craziest night is like a slice of pizza and a couple glasses of wine. And then that's it. But yeah, she'll come out for as long as she can handle it till I start driving her nuts. Also, it's like a bunch of guys on the bus. So it smells like a gym locker sometimes. So.

How is the bus? Does the bus ever get old?

It's it's good. I mean, we've gotten to a point now. I've got a couple buses, so it's pretty comfortable. There's only a few people on the bus now on my bus at a time, which is really nice. But you know, just being on the road and staying healthy and you're meeting so many people. We do VIP meet and greets. So after the show, I'll shake hands with a lot of the fans and take photos with them. And on the last run, I got very sick and almost had to cancel the LA show. Thank God for shout out Dr. Snitman, my ear, nose and throat doctor. Uh for saving my voice on the last show. It's just hard to stay healthy. Your immune system is constantly being tested. Especially on the road.

Yeah. Yeah. Well I'm glad you're healthy.

Yeah, for now. Part two.

Yeah. Was there ever a thought in your head the pop star Jesse McCartney if you didn't do this, was there something else you wanted to do?

I wanted to be one of two other things, which was a major league baseball player. And I wasn't good enough to do that.

How was it Little League?

Little League, I was great. I actually threw the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game a couple months ago and nailed it. I got like threw it right over the plate. Very happy with that. I was hoping maybe they'd call me up after that, but didn't get the call. The other pitching coach was such a jerk about it, too. I'm about to walk out on the mound and the pitching coach for the Oakland A's. It's at the Seattle Mariner. He he comes over and he's like, don't throw it in the dirt. And it was like, thanks. Like right as the crowd is cheering and like just puts the pressure on. Or to become a chef. I love cooking. I love barbecue specifically. I have smokers at the house. So I love being in the kitchen, too.

I love that. Yeah. Jesse McCartney if you're around 22 cities starting October 4th, all's well part two. Go check him out. Jesse, thank you so much. Come see me. Good to see you.