Jake Weary Bio
Jacob Weary (born February 14, 1990) is an American actor known for a wide range of television and film roles. He first came to attention on daytime television and has built a steady career across serial dramas, network series and feature films, with notable credits in As the World Turns, Chicago Fire, the horror films It Follows and It Chapter Two, and the TNT drama Animal Kingdom. He has also been associated with Netflix projects including The Waterfront.
Early Life and Background
Jacob Weary was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on February 14, 1990, to actress Kim Zimmer and actor and director Allen Cudney “A.C.” Weary. He grew up in a family active in performance and television, which provided early exposure to acting and the daily operations of sets and rehearsals. That environment contributed to an early interest in performance and to his pursuit of professional roles beginning in childhood.
Weary’s first recorded television work came while he was still young, including a guest appearance on the long-running CBS soap opera Guiding Light in 2002, where his mother portrayed a central character. He balanced early acting work with school commitments, stepping away from some roles to focus on education at times during his adolescent years. These early experiences established familiarity with the demands of television production and prepared him for recurring and series work that followed.
Path to Celebrity
Weary’s entry into recurring daytime drama began when he was cast as Luke Snyder on As the World Turns, a role he played in 2005 before leaving to prioritize his schooling. Prior to that casting he made guest appearances on established series including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Listen Up, gaining credit and screen experience that helped him transition from child roles to adult work. His early film debut came in 2008 as a minor character in Assassination of a High School President, signaling a move into feature projects while he continued television work.
Throughout the 2000s and early 2010s Weary took on a mix of guest and supporting roles that broadened his range, including parts in the 2010 film Altitude and television appearances that kept him visible to casting directors. He worked in both daytime serials and episodic primetime television, which allowed him to demonstrate versatility across genres. These steady engagements laid the groundwork for more prominent dramatic roles later in his career.
Jake Weary Career
Early Career (2002–2013)
Jacob Weary began acting professionally in 2002 with a guest appearance on Guiding Light and continued with episodic television work that included Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His casting as Luke Snyder on As the World Turns in 2005 was an early series role that increased his visibility on a national stage, though he left the part to focus on schoolwork later that year. He transitioned into film with a small part in Assassination of a High School President in 2008 and took supporting roles in projects such as Altitude in 2010, building a resume of varied credits across television and independent film.
During this period Weary also pursued roles that tested different aspects of his craft, moving between serial television formats and one-off episodic parts. These engagements offered practical on-set experience and continued exposure to casting opportunities, helping him maintain a professional trajectory through his late teens and early twenties. By the mid-2010s he had assembled a steady body of work that made him a candidate for larger supporting and recurring parts in both network and cable productions.
Breakthrough (2014–2022)
Jacob Weary attracted wider attention with his film role in It Follows, a 2014 horror thriller that reached an international audience and showcased his ability to contribute to genre material. In the same period he joined the cast of Chicago Fire for a recurring role as Vince Keeler, demonstrating an aptitude for action-driven network drama and ensemble series work. These projects helped position him for casting in more substantial dramatic roles on premium cable.
Weary’s most widely recognized role came when he was cast as Deran Cody in the TNT drama Animal Kingdom, a series adaptation of the 2010 Australian film. He starred in Animal Kingdom from its 2016 launch through 2022, portraying a complex character within a crime family ensemble and earning steady critical and audience attention for his performance. The series represented a career-defining run that established him as a reliable series regular on a major cable drama and expanded his profile in serialized storytelling.
During and after his run on Animal Kingdom, Weary continued to work in film, including a role in It Chapter Two in 2019, which connected him again to the horror genre at a larger studio scale. He has balanced television commitments with feature work, moving between character-driven cable roles and genre projects in film. As of the mid-2020s he has also been associated with projects for Netflix, including The Waterfront, reflecting an ongoing presence across streaming, cable and theatrical releases.
Notable Works and Milestones
Jacob Weary’s signature role is widely regarded as Deran Cody on Animal Kingdom, a multi-season performance that anchored his transition to leading ensemble work on cable television. His appearances in It Follows and It Chapter Two mark his recurring presence in high-profile horror films, while recurring and guest turns on series such as Chicago Fire and early work on As the World Turns display his range across daytime and primetime formats. The combination of sustained television work and selective film roles constitutes the main arc of his career to date.
Jake Weary Family
Jacob Weary is the son of actress Kim Zimmer and actor-director Allen Cudney “A.C.” Weary. His parents both have long histories in television and stage work, providing a household with direct ties to the entertainment industry and to the craft of acting. That family background is frequently noted in accounts of his early exposure to professional sets and industry practices.
Personal Life
Weary married Vera Bulder in 2019. The couple are reported to have one child. Public accounts emphasize his ongoing career activity while noting family life as part of his personal background outside his professional commitments.