Citizens of Mockingbird: Will Pullen on Playing the 'Last Bit of Sunlight of Boyhood' as Jem Finch

In adapting Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird for the stage, award-winning scribe Aaron Sorkin looked at the iconic characters of the recently named "best-loved" American novel with fresh eyes. In this exclusive series, Broadway.com talks with Sorkin and the talented performers who bring the citizens of Maycomb, Alabama to life every night at the Shubert Theatre.

WILL PULLEN AS JEM FINCH
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CHARACTER: Jem Fitch, older brother to Scout Fitch and son of Atticus Fitch, who is shaken by the events of the trial of Tom Robinson.

ACTOR: Will Pullen is a rising star who previously played Jason in the 2017 acclaimed Broadway drama Sweat, a role he originated off-Broadway at the Public Theater. Other off-Broadway credits include Your Mother’s Copy of the Kama Sutra at Playwrights Horizons, The Wayside Motor Inn at Signature Theatre and Punk Rock at MCC Theater. TV credits include The Americans, Elementary and The Good Wife.

WILL PULLEN ON PLAYING JEM FINCH: "He’s very brave. Much braver than I’ll ever be. It was interesting when I first came into it how I played down to the age. But a 12-going-on-13 year old? They’re smart. Smart as hell. I come from a big family and have four sisters, three of whom are right around that age. Jem’s a good brother and I try to be a good brother, too."

AARON SORKIN ON WILL PULLEN: "[Jem is] right on the cusp of... yesterday was boyhood—pretend sword fighting, fishing, playing games—tomorrow is manhood. What’s today? Today is where the play lives. Will is just wonderful at playing that last bit of sunlight of boyhood and slight apprehension about manhood."

Photographed at the Shubert Theatre by Caitlin McNaney for Broadway.com