Anyone who has watched “The Bernie Mac Show” remembers Jeremy Suarez, who played Mac’s nephew Jordan Thomkins.
Suarez went on to use his voice in animated movies like “Brother Bear” and “Treasure Planet.” However, it’s been quite some time since the world has seen Suarez involved in a TV show or film, and now he’s speaking out about why he’s been absent from the Hollywood scene.
In a YouTube interview on Comedy Hype’s “Unforgotten,” he explained being underaged was the reason he did not continue to get roles after “The Bernie Mac Show,” which ran from 2001 to 2006. “It was a little bit rough because I was in this age bracket.” He continued, “I looked like lower to middle high school age, but at that age, they would much rather hire somebody who’s like 19 to play that age because then they don’t have child actor laws.” The now-30-year-old said, “Not only are they not restricted to working you 9 ½ hours a day, they also don’t have to hire a teacher. So it’s vastly cheaper to hire an adult.”
Because of the issue with his age, Suarez says that “everything really slowed down.” He admitted, “That was kind of hard for me because I had never gone six months without a job.” This caused Suarez to start doubting himself and asking if he was the problem. But after he “took a step back” he realized he could now take time to experience life away from the set. “So that’s what I did. I went out and just lived a normal life and it was cool because I had never done that before.”
Since leaving Hollywood, Suarez said with a smile, “I was working construction, I worked with the boilermakers, I worked retail. I tested if I was tough, and in the areas in which I wasn’t tough yet I worked on them until I am.
Although he hasn’t been too involved with the industry, Suarez has not lost touch with his castmates from “The Bernie Mac Show.” According to his Instagram, he, Camille Winbush, who played Vanessa Thomkins, and Dee Dee Davis, who played Bryana “Baby Girl” Thomkins, still hang out. He’s also now married to his longtime girlfriend, Maria Suarez.
