Jordan Carlos Wants You To See His Surgery Scars

Happy Hump Day! It’s Wednesday and if you’re anything like us, you’re extra hype because a new episode of “Everything’s Trash” airs tonight.

Source: Jabari Jacobs / Freeform

This week we’re giving you even more reason to be excited because our Sr. Content Editor Janeé Bolden chopped it up with one of the show’s stars, Jordan Carlos, who plays Jayden on “Everything’s Trash.” Y’all may recall her previous chat with Phoebe Robinson, who plays the show’s central character Phoebe Hill. Phoebe and Jayden’s sibling relationship is the foundation for the show and Phoebe is a free-spirited podcaster buried in credit card debt and down for debauchery just about wherever it presents itself, while her brother is a happily married father with a perfect Brooklyn brownstone and political aspirations. When we spoke with Phoebe Robinson she told us that one of the greatest joys she had about the success of the show was that Jordan has been gaining admirers, so we launched the interview by asking him how he’s been enjoying his newfound status as a sex symbol.

Jordan Carlos: A sex symbol? Thank you very much. Sure. There’s nowhere I can go. When I’m at the New York Public Library reading room it’s tough to throw them off. It’s really hard. When I’m swinging my kids at the playground the other parents are all up on me. I’m like ‘Quit it!’ I’m very comfortable with the title of sex symbol. Why did Phoebe say that? Oh my God.

This is not where I thought this interview would go. Someone asked about my abs. I have a few of them. I’m very excited about them. I think I do pretty good for a guy in his forties. I do my yoga daily. I’m kinda mad because I didn’t do it this morning, but I try to do my yoga and stay fit because it’s less about trying to stay like a thirst trap but I have a five-year-old and a nine-year-old and you have to stay fit at all times. That’s what it is. I’m trying to redefine Dad bod, that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m not taking my shirt off for this interview.

Source: Giovanni Rufino / Freeform

You have a lot in common with your “Everything’s Trash” character, how does your real life seep into Jayden’s life?

It’s the same thing. Farrah is basically the same age as my daughter. There is no line between Jayden and Jordan. I’m as goofy and nerdy and blerdy as the person on screen. It was not a stretch.

Everything is mined from my life down to a certain nickname for a part of my anatomy. My big toe. It was funny because it was like at any point I could have given them another nickname but I didn’t do it and I was like ‘Why did I do this?’ So yes, it’s all me. I love physical humor and I’ve basically embraced the fact that I’m awkward and goofy. We have one scene where me and my wife, Nneka Okafor are getting it on on a couch in my office and I was like I’m going to ‘Idris the crap out of this!’ And don’t you know I bumped my leg on the Ikea furniture?! And they’re like ‘That’s perfect!’ I’m just incapable of that stuff so I was like let me just imbue that into the character.

You’ve played Barack Obama a few times and you’ve written for Charlamagne’s show, can we talk about Jordan Carlos’ political side?

Absolutely not a stretch. I have so many political facts and figures at my fingertips that make people’s eyes just glaze over. So I was like, ‘Let me put these to work for me.’ I was writing for Robin Thede and Larry Wilmore on the Nightly Show and that’s what really gave me my first understanding about the world of politics. I’ve done that on late night of course for Char as well, but I’ve never put that into a character, so this was a wonderful opportunity to do that. So in the last two episodes which you’ll see streaming on Hulu and also on Freeform Wednesday nights at 10 pm, I do these speeches which are actually of the moment and about the kitchen table issues that confront people in New York City in 2022. I was like this was kind of wild that I get to put something of the moment in a script for what is otherwise just some made-up character. I had never done that before so this was new for me.

It’s looking likely that there’s a future in politics for Jayden Hill, but how about Jordan Carlos?

I stay out of it. I believe in grassroots organizing. I believe in giving my money to good causes and good people and supporting the right things and marching when it’s necessary because I’ve got good arches. And I’m great with a good sign. I don’t see politics in the future for me. I’d collapse in a debate. I’m barely holding up under scrutiny right now. I love writing and comedy so much that for me, comedy is the instrument politically. I could have been a speechwriter. I could have been all these things, but I see that there isn’t a lot of humor imbued in that work. I love that comedy is the canary in the coal mine as far as politics and our country is concerned. If we can laugh then we’re still pretty healthy. We’ve got a fever in this country but it’s not too crazy yet cuz I know we can still laugh. It’s my civic duty to do standup and write comedy with a political edge. A lot of people that go to the Ivy League go on to do things in politics, but I’m gonna stay right here and write jokes. I feel like I’m doing my part in that way. Plus I don’t look great in a suit. I got big thighs.

Thick Thighs Save Lives

Yes! Can we start a movement for thick thighed men?

There is a movement and you have Winston Duke to thank for it.

Yeah! Winston Duke, he’s our leader and I forgot. I’m gonna shout him out. I’m an ally because of my thighs. I go through a lot.

This show is very sexual, can we talk about what that’s been like?

The show is a late bloomers dream come true. You were denied entrance to the club for a long time. Not even with a fake id you couldn’t get in. We’re just speaking in metaphors now. Phoebe’s character is at a stage in her life where she’s much more experimental. I love it that all of the characters are exploring their sexuality and their bodies. It’s fun for me and it’s fun to write.

I was very embarrassed about putting my body on screen. I have scars, surgery scars from when I was a kid, so I was like, ‘Oh my gosh this is a lot.’ I was happy once it was done because there are different types of bodies and it’s good to celebrate those. But you better believe I wasn’t eating any calories before I was going onscreen. It was just water and bananas and that was it. Just to make sure I was looking right, looking snatched. The camera does lie. I don’t look that bad.

If you were to write a Bossip headline about yourself what would it be?

‘Blerd Makes Good’ — no, ‘Blerd Turns Thirst Trap’

I like where this is going

‘Blerd Turns Thirst Trap Through ‘Trash’ TV show’

You need some more adjectives before Blerd

‘Four Eyed Blerd?’

No, like ‘Built Body Blerd’

‘Built Body Blerd!’ By the way thank you for your triple alliteration. Printed, it’s a peach.

‘Built Body Blerd Turns Thirst Trap Through Trash TV.’ Subhead, ‘Wants You To See His Surgery Scars.’ I’m so scared of this. My mother can not read this at all.

Don’t be scared!

Don’t be scared? That’s my whole M.O. I’m a trepidatious risk averse kind of dude. This has been so fun. I read Bossip but I’m like, ‘Does Bossip see me?’ Cuz I’m a nerdy Urkel/Obama type.

Jordan Carlos is absolutely adorable — we totally see what Phoebe Robinson was getting at!

Don’t forget that “Everything’s Trash” airs Wednesdays at 10pm EST on Freeform, with new episodes streaming on Hulu the following day!