Overview of Call Her Daddy — Jackson White: Toxicity and Tell Me Lies
This episode features actor Jackson White (who plays Steven DeMarco on Tell Me Lies) in a wide-ranging interview with host Alex Cooper. They discuss Jackson’s experience playing a manipulative, escalatingly toxic character; the reactions to the series finale; how he prepped and separated himself from the role; his real-life relationship with co-star Grace Van Patten; family background and how it shaped his coping mechanisms; sobriety and self-work; and what’s next for his career. The conversation blends show-specific behind-the-scenes details with candid reflections on mental health, relationships, and growth.
Topics discussed
- Playing Steven DeMarco on Tell Me Lies
- Character development, mannerisms (posture, eye contact, walk)
- How the role changed as the writers pushed him darker
- Jackson’s process (truthful acting, then detachment as character turned worse)
- Reaction to and experience filming the series finale
- Surprise at series ending (not just a season end)
- The wedding/“he wins” twist and its comedic/tragic resonance
- Filming while ill (3–4 a.m. wedding scene with fever)
- Audience and online reaction to Steven (name-calling, hate/love mix)
- Relationship with Grace Van Patten
- How they met (power/work dynamics), first moves, tattoos early in relationship
- How their relationship evolved during/after the show
- Family background and its effects
- Parents’ divorce, multiple step-parents, father’s touring/music life
- Exposure to alcohol and its influence on Jackson’s early coping
- Addiction/numbing patterns, fear, and recovery
- Recognizing patterns (fear → behaviors → consequences)
- Importance of self-awareness, consequences driving change, and therapy
- Career notes
- He filmed another project after Tell Me Lies with a very different role
- Hesitant to re-watch his performances to avoid masochism, but still studies tape selectively
Key takeaways
- Jackson created a believable, unsettling Steven by mixing personal habits with invented mannerisms and then distancing himself as the character grew sinister.
- The Tell Me Lies finale intentionally subverted expectations (the antagonist “wins”); Jackson found it darkly funny and creatively fitting.
- Being recognized in public as a character (mostly “Steven”) has been common—Jackson looks forward to people knowing him as “Jackson.”
- Personal history (parental divorce, intermittent father presence, early exposure to substance use) informed Jackson’s early fear-based approaches to relationships and coping.
- Recovery and growth are ongoing: Jackson emphasizes self-knowledge, consequences, and intentional effort to redistribute emotional energy across life (not putting too much pressure on one relationship).
- Acting choices: Jackson sometimes watches performances to learn but avoids obsessive rewatching when it becomes unhealthy.
Notable quotes and insights
- On the finale: “He wins? That’s so cosmically funny.” — Jackson describing his reaction to the ending.
- On acting process: “You just try and be truthful and enjoy the character,” but after Steven got darker he had to “detach” and treat him as a character to play with.
- On coping and change: “If something’s stopping you from getting those things… you got to focus on it. You got to have that self-knowledge.”
- On patterns in relationships: “It starts with fear… then anger is a symptom, drinking is a symptom, behavior is a symptom.”
- On personal growth: “All I want is to be a worker among workers… I want the life to be calm and serene.”
Rapid-fire highlights / memorable personal details
- Tattoos: Jackson let Grace tattoo him early in their relationship — he has four small tattoos from that period; he calls himself impulsive during courtship.
- Sleepwear: he typically sleeps in underwear and a tank.
- Love languages: gives acts of service; wants words of affirmation.
- Pettiest breakup move: “disintegrated” (permanently deleted) his Instagram.
- First big purchase after Tell Me Lies: a Dodge Durango with a Hemi.
- Other Tell Me Lies characters he found insufferable: Evan and the teacher Oliver (mentions both as bad news).
- Filmed another project post-Tell Me Lies that is the “opposite” of Steven — more natural, grounded, and personal.
Practical recommendations / actions for listeners
- If you’re studying acting: observe how small, consistent mannerisms (posture, eye contact, walk) create character; know when to detach for the sake of performance.
- If you’re navigating relationship patterns: reflect on fear-based responses and how they manifest (jealousy, over-dependence, people-pleasing). Self-awareness and consequences can motivate change.
- For anyone using substances or numbing behaviors: recognize they often cover deeper wounds; removing the behavior exposes the core work that needs to be done—therapy and accountability help.
- If you liked the show: watch the finale before reading reactions—Jackson and Alex emphasize that the twist is intentionally dark and funny, and much of the impact is emotional.
Where to see Jackson next
- He confirmed he’s finished filming another project (post-Tell Me Lies) where his role is basically the opposite of Steven — described as electric, natural, and truthful. No release specifics were shared.
Episode notes
- The interview alternates between promotional ad reads and personal conversation; Alex Cooper also did a playful in-character bit where Jackson answered audience questions as Steven (dark, weaponize-the-information humor).
- The conversation blends show-specific behind-the-scenes detail with candid personal reflections on family, addiction patterns, and growth.
If you want a condensed takeaway: Jackson White is proud of the complex, infuriating Steven he created, but he’s equally focused on growing personally—recognizing fear-driven patterns, doing the work to change them, and moving toward steadier relationships and a calmer life.