Joe Jonas recalls disastrous audition for Jennifer Aniston's love interest on The Morning Show
Synopsis
Joe Jonas has finally told the story of how he blanked completely during his callback to play Jennifer Aniston's love interest on The Morning Show — a role that ultimately went to Boyd Holbrook. The Hey Jonas! podcast confession is a rare, self-deprecating peek at the gap between pop-star ambition and the cold reality of a casting room.
Key Takeaways
Joe Jonas , 36, revealed on the Hey Jonas! podcast that he auditioned for a role on Apple TV+'s The Morning Show .
The part was a love interest for Jennifer Aniston 's character Alex Levy — a conservative podcaster named Bro Hartman .
Jonas was placed in a dark, broken waiting room where he could hear rival candidates 'crushing it' before his turn.
He declined the offer to read off paper, then forgot all his lines once inside — calling it 'such a bad audition'.
The role eventually went to actor Boyd Holbrook , who appeared in Season 4 of the series.
Singer-songwriter Joe Jonas has opened up for the first time about a deeply uncomfortable audition experience — one in which he tried out for a role as a love interest to Jennifer Aniston on the hit Apple TV+ drama series The Morning Show. The candid revelation came during a recent episode of the Hey Jonas! podcast, where Joe, his brothers Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas, discussed the ill-fated callback.
What Happened at the Audition
According to Joe, then 36, the trouble began before he even stepped in front of the casting team. Arriving early, he was ushered into what he described as 'the saddest room you can imagine' — a dimly lit waiting area with broken blinds, where he could hear every other candidate auditioning through the walls.
'It was just these little blinds, all the lights were off, and they didn't work, and I could hear clear as day all the guys auditioning,' he said. 'They're like, "We just have two guys before you," and these guys were crushing it.'
The Role He Was Chasing
Nick Jonas clarified on the podcast that the part was 'a love interest for Jennifer Aniston,' while Kevin described the character as 'the kind of, like, very handsome, talented-looking male... very right-wingy, podcast host guy.' The role in question — a conservative podcaster named Bro Hartman who shares a brief unexpected romance with Aniston's character Alex Levy — eventually appeared in Season 4 of the series, played by actor Boyd Holbrook.
How It All Fell Apart
Joe admitted he arrived without headphones, leaving him to sit in silence and mentally rehearse his lines while listening to rival auditioners perform confidently. By the time his turn came, the preparation unravelled entirely. 'I just crash and burn,' he said plainly.
Making matters worse, when the casting team offered him the option to read off paper, Joe declined — only to forget his lines the moment he walked in. 'I'm like, "I got it. I'm good." And it was literally like, I don't even know what I'm auditioning for,' he recalled. 'All of the lines were just gone from me... It was such a bad audition.'
A Rare Glimpse Behind the Curtain
Joe Jonas is primarily known for his music career — first as a member of the Jonas Brothers and later as a solo artist — but the anecdote reveals an ongoing interest in acting. The Morning Show, which stars Aniston alongside Reese Witherspoon and Billy Crudup, has been one of Apple TV+'s flagship prestige dramas since its debut. Notably, this is the first time Joe has spoken publicly about the audition, making the Hey Jonas! podcast disclosure a rare behind-the-scenes moment from the entertainment world.
Whether Jonas pursues further acting opportunities remains to be seen, but his willingness to laugh at the experience suggests the sting has faded — even if the memory clearly has not.
Point of View
But it points to a recurring pattern in pop-to-screen crossovers: celebrity casting interest does not automatically translate to casting-room readiness. The Morning Show role — a right-wing podcaster with a romantic subplot — would have been a genuine stretch for Jonas, and the fact that Boyd Holbrook, a trained dramatic actor, ultimately landed it suggests the show's producers were looking for a specific register Jonas may not yet have. The candid self-roast on a family podcast is smart image management, but the more interesting question is whether Jonas is actively developing his acting craft or treating Hollywood as an occasional side project.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What role did Joe Jonas audition for on The Morning Show?
Joe Jonas auditioned for the role of a conservative podcaster who becomes a love interest for Jennifer Aniston's character Alex Levy. The part, named Bro Hartman, appeared in Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series and was ultimately played by Boyd Holbrook.
Where did Joe Jonas reveal the audition story?
He shared the story for the first time on the Hey Jonas! podcast, in an episode that also featured his brothers Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas, who added their own details about the role.
Why did Joe Jonas's audition go badly?
Jonas arrived early and was placed in a dimly lit waiting room with broken blinds, where he could hear other candidates performing confidently. Without headphones to block the distraction, he sat in silence and lost his focus. When offered the option to read from paper, he declined — and then forgot all his lines once inside the room.
Who eventually played the role Joe Jonas auditioned for?
Actor Boyd Holbrook played Bro Hartman, the conservative podcaster with an unexpected romance with Jennifer Aniston's Alex Levy, in Season 4 of The Morning Show.
Has Joe Jonas acted in any major productions?
Joe Jonas is primarily known for his music career with the Jonas Brothers and as a solo artist. While he has expressed interest in acting, he has not yet landed a prominent dramatic role in a major series or film.
