In the early 1990s, Jeff Wickline ’92 was dreaming of a life as a movie star. Like thousands before and after him, he dreamed of going to Hollywood, using his talent and savvy to become a renowned actor.
But what’s a Hollywood script without a few unexpected turns – and maybe a surprise ending?
In this story, our star did make it to Hollywood, and he did get noticed – behind the scenes. Wickline is now the production accountant for HBO’s smash vampire series True Blood, which will air its fourth season this summer.
It’s just like he learned as a college student, when Mary Holloway, one of his instructors in the theatre department, took the English major aside and told him that sometimes a person’s talents manifest in unexpected ways.
“Ms. Holloway was pivotal in my career,” says Wickline, “because she pointed out that I could have a life in theater, film and television that wasn’t necessarily in front of a camera.”
Point taken, Professor Holloway.
Two decades later, Wickline is charged with tracking True Blood’s dollars and ensuring the show comes in on budget – no small task for an award-winning drama that films in Los Angeles and Louisiana.
And, with the passionate fans following True Blood, Wickline has become something of a star in some circles.
“Whether it’s at the store, the bank or the doctor’s office, I always run into someone who wants to talk about the next season,” says Wickline, who is comfortable in his role behind the lens. He admits that he underestimated the challenge and hardships he would face while trying to make it as an actor in L.A.
But why focus on the broken dreams – especially when you have a résumé that boasts production work on past HBO series Deadwood and John from Cincinnati and the films Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag, Jawbreaker and, most important, the legendary Borat: Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
Wickline, who grew up in Greenville, S.C., fell in love with Charleston when he was searching for a college. The city’s historic boroughs turned out to be instrumental in his theater development: Not only did he perform with the Footlight Players, but it was also in the Holy City that he worked on Ace Ventura and Die Hard, as well as Scarlett, the TV sequel of Gone With the Wind.
“It’s difficult for me to break down the proudest moments of my career,” Wickline muses, “but I remember those first times on movies sets in Charleston where I got to work on high-profile projects in my backyard. Charleston gave me the best tools – opportunities that led to where I am today. Without those opportunities, hard work and a lot of luck, I would have never had the courage to move to Hollywood to seek out my dreams.”
And that is certainly a script we can all appreciate.
– Trevor Baratko ’08
Photo by Sebastian Artz
