Interview with Evan Roe about ‘Madam Secretary’

The side-parted hair, the Henley shirt and the zip-up hoodie illustrate the typical millennial. The cherubic face tops off the look. But try to tell this young man what to do and he will cut you with his wit and have you rooting for him. This witty guy goes by the name of Jason McCord on the hit CBS drama Madam Secretary and actor Evan Roe plays him to perfection with tons of depth.

The 16-year-old Evan Roe plays the smart and snarky son of the Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord. For the last two years, Roe serves as the stand-in for the audience’s desire to not be politically correct. Like Cookie Lyon on Empire, his performances on the Madam Secretary scorch as moments of truth when he speaks up to his parents instead of submitting to them. In the show’s current third season, the character Jason McCord becomes a pivotal part of it. As he comes of age, his strong political convictions will come to a head as he realizes that his mother the Secretary of State may be his mirror image.

Evan Roe spoke to TheCelebrityCafe.com's Christopher Cole about his character, college and even the color scheme of Madam Secretary. He spoke of his character like a good friend, and came across as a good guy, which makes sense considering he’s an Eagle Scout. Check out the interview below.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: What appealed to you when you first auditioned for Madam Secretary?

Evan Roe: The show’s realistic depiction attracted me to the show. There’s a nice mix of comedy and drama instead of being so dark like other political dramas.

TCC: Where does Jason McCord's cynicism come from?

ER: He gets his cynicism from his mother Elizabeth [Tea Leoni]. She can be snarky and shows a lot of wit. Jason picks it up from her without realizing it.

TCC: Is he like his dad?

ER: Not really. His dad [Henry McCord played by Tim Daly] definitely respects authority more than Jason does. Elizabeth respects authority too, but she has her snarky side.

TCC: Do you think Jason will seek a career in politics?

ER: Jason will definitely be politically active, but not in the same vein as his mother. He’ll be an activist and make things better for other people. He’ll seek a political career, but maybe not for the right reasons.

TCC: On the episode "Lynchpin" I laughed when Jason said, "I know you're protecting the GIRLS," but he's fine, as if his older sister's are children. Why is he so mature and such an old soul?

ER: Jason has that young man bravado where he feels he can take care of himself. He doesn’t want to have mommy’s bodyguard protecting him. If he had the bodyguards showing up everywhere he went, he would feel like he was a carbon copy of his mother. That’s the last thing that he wants.

TCC: As an Eagle Scout, do you think Jason's teen partying (alcohol) is okay?

ER: I don’t think it’s okay, not even speaking just as an Eagle Scout. Jason can’t participate in reckless behavior like that if he wants to be taken seriously. He does not want to end up as a young man making a fool of himself because that kind of behavior comes back to bite you.

TCC: Are you a party guy?

ER: No, I’m not. I don't come from a strait-laced family, but it’s never been my thing to get drunk.

TCC: Explain the heavy use of the color teal on Madam Secretary on an episode from the first season, when Jason was almost suspended from school, you wore a teal hoodie under a teal/evergreen private school blazer.

ER: Many television shows are filmed in a dark way, and I think the color teal used on the show [Madam Secretary] is subliminally bright conveying brightness and fun.

TCC: What’s next for you?

ER: I definitely want to go to college and study film. I want to continue acting and pursue directing. I also want to play different kinds of roles.