Ghosts' Brandon Scott Jones Couldn't Wrap His Head Around Isaac's Age
The CBS adaptation of the BBC One series "Ghosts" sitcom has become a smash hit. Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar play Sam and Jay, respectively, a couple who inherits a dilapidated palatial estate. After Sam has a near-death experience, she discovers she can see and communicate with ghosts tethered to the mansion and its grounds. The spirits and Sam work with a non-ghost-seeing Jay to restore the old building to its former glory.
One of the ghosts haunting the estate is Captain Isaac Higgintoot, played by "Isn't It Romantic" actor Brandon Scott Jones. Higgintoot is a sadly-forgotten American Revolutionary soldier who died of dysentery. So every time he passes through someone alive, they smell a foul stench. Since historians forgot about him, he is insanely jealous of Alexander Hamilton, who Jones hopes will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda on the show someday. Jones said he was inspired to put Higgintoot just one step over the side of history. The Captain carries a secret as well. As the actor bringing the character to the afterlife, Jones had to figure out how someone long dead would interact with a modern plane of existence while also carrying a secret for centuries.
The character was able to keep a facet of himself a secret for nearly three centuries
In an interview with Collider, "Ghosts" actor Brandon Scott Jones admitted he found it difficult to process his character's age. In Season 1 of the show, Jones' character, Captain Isaac Higgintoot, reveals his sexuality to Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky), another ghost. He has feelings for and eventually begins a relationship with fellow Revolutionary War officer, Nigel Chessum (John Hartman), who he accidentally killed and now lives in a shed on the property. Jones found it challenging to play someone who was holding onto being a closeted gay man for so long.
Jones said about the revelation that he shares with Hetty, "It feels so much more enormous and trying to wrap your brain around the why now of something... In the 250+ years that I've been dead, I haven't found the opportunity to let this come out yet." He credits the show's great writing for handling the subject matter perfectly and giving catharsis to the audience and character.
He continued, "I remember the silliness of that episode of the last ditch attempt of me trying to seduce Rebecca [Wisocky]'s character, and then juxtapose that with this really low moment for this character. That was hard." Before filming the episode, he told himself to not mess up this character moment. He created one of the most memorable moments from the show for fans, so he should look back fondly at how beautifully he portrayed the moment.