Cooper Levy had an interesting journey on his path to playing the role of Jesse Garland in the new USA series Anna Pigeon. Originally cast as Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz’s character Manny, Levy experienced a dramatic shift just a week before filming.
From Manny to Jesse
In an exclusive interview with E! correspondent Will Marfuggi at the show’s premiere on August 5, Levy shared insights into his casting experience. “The casting for the show was a little wild,” he noted. “Originally, I was cast as Manny and then they called and said, ‘We want to try just playing Jesse.’” This switch to Jesse brought new challenges, as Jesse is not a character from Nevada Barr’s original novels.
Character Dynamics
Levy revealed that while Jesse isn’t a character from the Anna Pigeon books, he serves as the love interest to Tracy Spiridakos’s Anna. He explained, “In Track of the Cat, it’s Rogelio,” highlighting how the character was developed specifically for the series.
Embracing the Role
The transition to playing Jesse, although initially intimidating, proved to be a rewarding experience. Levy reflected, “They were like, ‘Give it a shot,’” which led to a successful chemistry reading. “Being Jesse, I was like, ‘It’s going to be throwing it to the wind and just being a love interest,’” he admitted. Despite the pressures of taking on a new role, Levy found the atmosphere on set to be incredibly supportive and comfortable.
