Actor Jason London to appear at Five Bucks Drinkery

Jason London made a name for himself by starring in coming-of-age movies. Some may know him as high school football player Randall “Pink” Floyd in writer/director Richard Linklater’s classic stoner comedy Dazed and Confused. He also played Reese Witherspoon’s love interest in the 1950s period piece The Man in the Moon. 

During the 1990s, London was in his 20s and at the height of his fame. He would become a heartthrob.

Jason London. Photo: TV Insider.

London has experimented with different genres. He appeared in films such as the crime drama Fall Time, sports-comedy Out Cold and medical drama Broken Vessels. The actor has even ventured into supernatural horror with The Rage: Carrie 2. 

However, London will probably always be remembered best for the youthful roles that spearheaded his career. It’s a legacy he is quite comfortable with. 

London will be taking pictures with fans and signing autographs Tuesday (Oct. 6) at Five Bucks Drinkery, 247 Central Avenue. The establishment is hosting a Dancing with the Stars watch party from 7 to 10 p.m. 

His acting career almost never happened. 

“I was big into sports,” London explained. “Between my junior and senior year, I was working in construction down in San Antonio with my stepfather at the time and my brother Jeremy. I ended up getting my foot caught in the lift mechanism on a forklift. It actually cut off two of my toes.” 

Jeremy was also recovering from a back injury at the time. This prevented him from playing sports as well. The brothers decided to enroll in drama class after learning about it from their friends. They would even participate in local competitions. 

This fueled a passion.

Jeremy was the one who initially wanted to audition for The Man in the Moon. After Jason received compensation for his accident, he decided to purchase a 1965 Mustang. At the time, Jeremy did not have a car. 

“My brother really wanted to go to this audition in downtown Dallas and I really didn’t care because I had a date that night,” London explained. “When we showed up, it was like American Idol. There were like a thousand people. I was like ‘oh, well this is going to be a really long day.’ So, I sat there and I watched everybody audition and do their thing. I kind of just memorized the lines because I was there all day. I was like ‘you know what, I’m here. I might as well give it a go.’” 

About two weeks later, London received a call that changed his life. The producers wanted to fly him to Los Angeles for a screen test. Eventually, he secured the role. The Man in the Moon, which marked both Witherspoon and London’s film debuts, would premiere in 1991. Robert Mulligan, who directed the classic film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, helmed the project. 

During the shoot, London was 17 and Witherspoon was 14. He explained their relationship was a bit unique because of the age difference. However, London developed a deep respect for the actress. 

“I’m so unbearably proud of her,” he said. “There are not many 14-year-old kids out there in this world who would have been able to pull off the performance she did.” 

Witherspoon’s first on-screen kiss was with London. 

“I think that I was only her second actual kiss, like in life,” he reminisced. “She was younger than my sister. So, it was weird to me. It felt like kissing my sister.” 

Jason London and Reese Witherspoon in “The Man in the Moon.” Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.

Filming Dazed and Confused, which was released in 1993, was one of the most memorable experiences of London’s career. His co-stars included the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich and real-life girlfriend at the time, Christine Harnos. The movie, which took place in Texas, was shot in the state as well. 

“Our days off were the best days of all time,” he explained. “This was all because of McConaughey, because that’s where he was from. He was like ‘I’m going to take you guys down to the Rio Grande River.’”

This allowed the cast members to build relationships off-screen. London still remains in touch with many of his co-stars. Recently, he added, some of the actors have attended pop culture conventions together to meet fans. 

“It was almost like we didn’t even realize we were making a movie,” London explained. “We were basically doing the same stuff that we were doing when we were off set. We were all just hanging together and laughing and being silly.” 

Director Linklater wanted to make sure the actors felt connected to the 1970s, when the film took place. This led him to create cassettes with songs from the era. 

“He was like ‘just listen to this music,’” London reminisced. “‘Don’t turn your TVs on. Don’t watch anything modern.’” 

“We were able to sort of go into this world that we didn’t grow up in,” he continued. “We got to kind of live it as if we had grown up in it. It was really cool.” 

London was able to shape the role of “Pink” from personal experiences. He emphasized that while the character was not difficult to play due to personality similarities, “Pink”’s high school years were far different from his own. 

The actor grew up in a poor family and was bullied. Additionally, he was “nerdy.” London explained that “I got to play the dude I wished I was when I was in high school.” 

What London appreciates the most is that Dazed and Confused has been embraced by multiple generations. When the film was first released, it was not a box-office hit. However, college students began to rent the movie at Blockbuster and other video stores. This gave it a cult following over time. 

“There are a lot of messages in that movie that we didn’t realize were messages when we were doing it,” he said. “We were like ‘we’re just doing a high school movie.’” 

London never forgot his accident. It shaped his future in such a profound way. Above all emotions, he is grateful. 

“It’s hard to recognize, but sometimes what seems like the worst thing that can happen in your life might just be the best thing to happen to you,” London said. “So, it’s about how you take it and how you roll with the punches.” 

Filming the low-budget horror comedy “Chicken Head” at Heritage Village in Pinellas County, March 2026. From left: Writer, director and actor Corin Nemec; actor Jason London, executive producer Robert Blackmon and actor Keith Coogan. Photo by Bill DeYoung.