He went on to recall how he had put the audition tape together, without thinking that it would really go anywhere. When he learned he got the role, he described how surreal it was to join such an iconic cast.

“I got to go to work with these icons in television history that I had looked up to for so long. I got to learn from them every day. It’s been such an amazing experience,” he said.  

Of course, there was a lot of pressure when taking on a new role on a show with diehard fans who are more than invested in the characters who have been on the show for years.

“It did feel like I was jumping onto a moving train, and that train was moving fast,” Jake said. “It has no signs of slowing down. It was like, ‘you better start running because this show is moving.’ It’s just been a wonderful experience to get to work with these people, to have fun and to tell the story.”