ORE CITY, Texas — **EDITOR'S NOTE: CBS19's full interview with Montana Jordan is available on CBS19+ and YouTube.
If you’ve seen the CBS hit show “Young Sheldon,” you’ve probably heard the name “Georgie Cooper,” who is played by East Texas native, Montana Jordan — born in Longview and raised in Ore City.
CBS19 had the opportunity to join Jordan at the State Fair of Texas ahead of a sneak peek of his new show, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage."
In this CBS19 Original — Jordan talks about his East Texas roots and how he's transitioned from the Pineywoods to Hollywood.
"How would I describe East Texas?," Jordan said. "Well, you're going to run into a lot of respectful people, and you don't find that everywhere."
Jordan has grown up before our eyes — first when he landed the role of "Georgie Cooper," the older brother of "Sheldon Cooper," in "Young Sheldon." Now, we get to see him mature in real life and on screen as he stars in “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage."
"You get to see a more mature Georgie," Jordan said. "You get to see him dealing with the loss of his father, he’s having to deal with all that and a baby on his hip and we all know the struggle with that."
It's a role Jordan definitely relates to.
"We had so much in common," Jordan said. "We both started playing football, we were being a teenage kid and now I’m still getting to play a character so many years later and we’re growing up together."
Having both “Young Sheldon” and “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” based in East Texas has made playing this role even more fun for Jordan.
"You know, everything they write, they might not know about it from their personal life, but they do their research, and they, when them scripts come out, everything sounds right," Jordan said.
And if you haven’t noticed — the Texas twang — it isn't an act.
"That’s right, it’s the real deal!," Jordan said. "Sometimes there are times where I have to pronounce a word more. But for the big picture, it doesn’t hold me back much."
From starring in his first movie at 12, to landing the role of "Georgie," Jordan has come a long way in his acting career.
"They got us all on a Zoom call and told us that 'Young Sheldon' was ending. And literally, five minutes after, they called me, and, you know, told me that they wanted their thoughts about creating this show. And before they could even finish the sentence, I said, 'Hell yeah, let's do it. I'm ready!'"
Ahead of Thursday's series premiere on CBS, Jordan arrived home just in time for the State Fair of Texas! And we got to tag along for a day of fun and fried food!
"They done got me full," Jordan said.
A full stomach is just what the doctor ordered to settle in and watch the first episode of “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.” And Jordan says none of this would have been possible without his roots and the help of family back home in East Texas.
"Honestly, I give it all to my dad," Jordan said. "My dad’s a hard-working man and he’s very respectful to everyone he meets, and I try to live up to that and I try to be respectful, and I try to live up to that."
But, a lot has changed since moving to Los Angeles.
"Everything [has changed]," Jordan. "Every little thing you can think of even if it’s just as little as going to Sonic."
He's had to exchange the simplicity and comfort of small-town life for the hustle and bustle of a big city.
"I want to go to Sonic," Jordan said. "But they don’t have a Sonic in California."
But as the saying goes, "You can take the man out of Texas, but but you can’t take the Texas out of a man," — whether it’s a day on his farm or in the stands cheering on the Ore City Rebels.
"It’s always great to come back to Ore City and see everybody that I went to school with, and I had enough time this time that I got to go to one of my niece’s cheerleading games," Jordan said. "I haven’t been to that stadium in forever."
Jordan is a humble man, saying he’s no more or less than anyone one of us.
"I still put my pants on the same way as everybody else," Jordan said.
And that’s something he wants to teach his young daughter — along with the East Texas value of respect.
"I want to teach her to be respectful and treat everybody like they're humans," Jordan said.
Jordan looks at his roles in life and on TV as mirror images.
" I even if, you know, even if you weren't in tuned in to 'Young Sheldon' and you didn't watch 'Young Sheldon,' 'Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage,' is a show that you can start without watching 'Young Sheldon.' You know, just like you can watch 'Young Sheldon' without watching 'Big Bang Theory.' So you know, just give it a shot, and I hope you all enjoy it. I really do."
"Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage" airs Thursday nights on CBS19.
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