Jack Swanson bio

Jack Swanson, 25, was born to Jim and Lydia Swanson in Corinth, Mississippi. His father taught high school chemistry, and his mother was an accountant. Firmly middle-class, Jack grew up with all the essentials but not many luxuries.

A decent student, Jack coasted through his classes and had the mediocre grades to show for it. His teachers believed he could achieve excellent grades with a little effort, but he wasn't interested. He only signed up for drama class in high school so he could miss a few days of school each semester when the class performed for the area elementary schools.

Initially skeptical of acting, Jack found that he enjoyed being in the spotlight on stage. When he spoke his lines, the whole auditorium was quiet, simply focusing on him. The attractive girls in the cast didn't hurt either.

Jack participated in the school play each year, ultimately earning the lead role in his senior year. He wanted to attend an elite acting school to hone his craft, but his unimpressive grades made that impossible. He settled for the University of Mississippi, where he could get a little distance from his parents while still being close enough to home.

His academic career at Ole Miss was not much better than his high school career. Jack skipped as many classes as he attended and muddled through his coursework. Even his performance in drama classes was sporadic. Some days, his acting was extraordinary. Other days, he seemed almost lost on stage. His lack of focus kept him from true success in the drama department.

After five and a half years, Jack finally graduated from Ole Miss. With no solid job prospects, he remained in Oxford, working here and there. His parents continued to support his acting aspirations, although they wished that Jack would put more effort into it. He rarely looked for acting opportunities, choosing to wash dishes or work construction rather than pursue auditions.

To date, his biggest professional acting gig came through a friend who was working construction for the film Suitable Flesh. Jack was thrilled about the opportunity to be an extra until he learned that his time on-screen would be brief, and most of it would end up on the cutting room floor.

So Jack mainly drifted from odd job to odd job, spending most of his time hanging around the square. While drinking an iced coffee on the porch at Square Books, he met Zoe Chase. He'd read her columns in the paper and started chatting with her.

They soon began dating, although many believed their relationship was purely physical. Zoe's desire to see other people bothered Jack, although he liked having the freedom for himself when he wanted it.

Some friends claimed they noticed Jack becoming more attentive to Zoe around the same time the rumors of her impending book contract started, although Jack repeatedly said that he loved her and the timing was just a coincidence.