My essentials: Nicholas Jackman’s cultural picks

About me 

A billionaire once called me a renaissance man. I'm not that smart, but I'm a good listener and talker. I walk many life paths. A part-time actor in Malta since 2014. Then three years ago, just before Chat GPT arrived, I quit writing. 1,000 days dedicated to acting later, I'm Nicholas Jackman and you hopefully know my face. Hello 

Book

These last 20 years I’ve written more books than I’ve read. Right now though, I’m picking up George Orwell’s 1984 again. Why? 1984 hits the Manoel Theatre stage in March! This book was an eye-opener for me about systems and control. A powerful book in the right hands. I used it when teaching high-school English literature in Thailand. I managed to escape during a military coup caused by a people’s revolution. I'm not completely sure I didn't start that one :) 

Film 

Last week in a Gzira cafe, I befriended movie star Waleed Elgadi. I then ‘read-in’ as he auditioned a scene for a major role. In this scene he acted as a ‘Jihadist.’ I played a teenage boy being pushed towards the call to arms. Waleed is such a good actor, it all felt too real. I wanted to join the resistance, to be a freedom fighter. Silly boy.
Internet and TV 

There is an absence of English language local TV programming. I understand the mandate to preserve your language, and it’s beautiful. Us Irish, we lost our language to British colonialism. The fact remains though, half the population are without the benefits of local TV. Local stories shared develop a sense of community, they reinforce our societal norms and more. I want to host a television talk show to help fill this void.

Music 

I used to be a rapper. My go-to song if I’m struggling to rise to an occasion is Eminem’s, Lose Yourself. I listen and the lyrics tell a man’s story of overcoming every obstacle. Its beats pump your heart to believe in your own invincibility. Lose Yourself has helped me through some daunting challenges. It was my secret weapon before my first hen party stripper gig. Thank you Eminem!

Place 

Manoel Island’s Duck Village. My actress daughter’s favourite place. Ducks, geese, rabbits, hamsters all living in harmony, in cute colourful houses. Then a do-gooder on Facebook Group Expats Malta posted pictures of maggots at the village. The admin and the keyboard warriors were outraged by the inhumane conditions. Duck Village became developer demotion dust that week. Mercifully the animals were all rescued to a place near Għargħur. Three days later all ducks, geese, rabbits and hamsters were savaged by dogs.