Dublin, Ireland, 1986
Constance Barry the artist, and her husband, the second generation Polish immigrant and London playwright Mikael Rubik, are visiting her family on the south side of Dublin's city centre when her waters break. Seven hours later, the one and only child to the artistic couple makes his entrance into the world. At the Holles Street hospital, Jack Rubik takes his first breath of air, opens his green eyes, and begins to wail.
Gospel Oak, London, 1995
Nine year old Jack is precocious and charming, loved to desperation by his parents and allowed to run roughshod over everything else. This is the child who dances at his parent's dinner parties, who is always first to volunteer an opportuntity to perform in school, and who is seven living nightmares in a supermarket when he doesn't get his own way. He goes to Alleyn's School where, even by that school's higher standards, his life is surrounded by authors, poets, painters and playwrights. Famous actors occasionally pick him up from school, and take him for tea in Liberty's; his birthday parties are always in transformed houses and epic wonderlands. When his parents are working, a slew of nannies take care of growing boy, transforming into personal tutors who beg, cajole, and drag him through academic work by the skin of his teeth.
GAIETY THEATRE SCHOOL, DUBLIN, 2006
In spite of his less than stellare academic grades, a great audition lands Jack a place at the prestigious Gaiety School for Acting in Ireland - much to the delight of his family. At the Gaiety, Jack - now known to everyone as Jax - has a reputation for being hardworking, charming, and completely self-involved. The combination of lucky birth and above average looks means that he succeeds in places where natural talent might not quite be enough. He enjoys acting, actually he loves it, and finds it's the only time when hard work is the blessing and boon his family are always telling him it is. In Ireland, the party scene is smaller than London and so while still able to "enjoy his youth", Jax finds it an easier place to combine work and study. Staying in his family home in D2 gives him the kind of security to test the bounds of his independence, but trouble (although never far away) seems never quite to stick to him. Teflon Jax, his friends call him.
NOTTING HILL, LONDON, 2016
After graduating, Jax moves back to London and finds himself campaigning for roles with many other talented actors of his age. He lands the role of David in David Sedaris' C.O.G., which receives notice but little by way of critical acclaim. Next up is a turn in the cult gay series, 'Looking', where Jax plays the role of the British lothario and heartbreaker. This, too, is a success but not widely viewed and is cancelled after two series. His professional choices lead to many questions being asked about his sexuality, and rumours frequently about as to the romantic status - rumours Jax isn't quick to clear up. He takes a best male friend as a date to a red carpet, but photos are then leaked of sexscapades with an ex-girlfriend. Success finally comes with the role of Adam in 'Girls', and a critically acclaimed part in 'And Then There Were None' which has pundits wondering if he might be the next Irish Bond.
In 2015, to everybody's surprise, his first collection of poetry is published, and is well reviewed. In typical Jax fashion, even the title gives the internet something to feed off, dubbing it "Straight James/ Gay James".