Jocko Sims Talks ‘The Last Ship’ [Exclusive Interview]

When Jocko Sims was first cast on The Last Ship as Lt. Carlton Burk, he thought he’d only be sticking around for a few episodes.

Now, the show is in its third season, and Sims is a series regular. In addition to some of the larger changes we’ve seen on The Last Ship, we’re also getting to see his character interact with his brother, Cameron Burk.

I recently spoke with Sims about his role on The Last Ship and what we can look forward to for the remainder of the season. (Spoilers ahead!)

One of the biggest challenges Sims faced when he was originally cast for the role was preparing physically. “Initially, the biggest challenge was being in that Navy Seal type shape, because I hate working out, Ashley,” Sims laughed.

“I really do. And so they didn’t ask me to work out or bulk up for the role, but when I read it and realized I was going to actually be cast as Lt. Burk, I went and got in the gym, got a trainer, and bulked up a little bit. In Season 1, I was in the best shape of my life, so it was nice. And at the time, I thought I was only going to be working on five episodes as a guest star, so I put in that time for a guest star role and got there — and haven’t left since. They made me a series regular, so it’s just been a great, great ride.”

This season of The Last Ship has explored new territory, from changes to the virus in Asia and expanding the story worldwide to focusing on the politics of what’s happening at home.

Sims said he felt it was smart choice for the writers to take the season in that direction. “I just think that’s a level that this show definitely needed to explore, so I think it’s great choices so far.”

Season 3 has also brought with it new characters, including a brother for Carlton Burke. “It’s been great. My brother is played by LaMonica Garrett, who is a brilliant actor and a great guy. He’s a lot of fun on set,” Sims said.

“I think it’s cool. It gives Burk a little bit of a connection and family history there, and I think it’s made for a great story. We bumped heads a little bit competing against each other. [There was] a little bit of sibling rivalry and a little bit of comedy in the first episode, so that was a lot of fun and a great change of pace for my character.”

Of course, that relationship also means higher stakes for the characters.

“From the moment I found out I was going to have a brother coming on the show, I already felt like that was going to be something useful for the writers to be able to play with as far as, you know, just that love and that connection. Sort of like what you have with Travis [Van Winkle]’s character, Lt. Green, and Kara. Whenever he goes out in the field, she has to worry,” Sims noted.

“So now, where you have Cameron Burk in the CIC, not only does he have to worry about his brother when he’s out there risking his life the entire time, but he’s actually making some direct choices that affect his brother. In fact, in the first two episodes, you see that Cameron made a choice that ended up getting his brother shot in the leg, and [he] could have died.”

That wasn’t the only time in Season 3 where we’ve seen that kind of thing happen.

“In an episode a couple of weeks ago, I made a call to Cameron in the CIC and said, ‘hey, just use us as a target in the helicopter to pinpoint where we are,” Sims continued.

“And Lt. Granderson looks at my brother and says, ‘that’s very dangerous.’ And he says, ‘you know what, let’s do it. Let’s do it. I trust my brother.’ And again, there I was in the line of fire and put there by my brother. So I think they’re doing a great job of creating those moments of tension.”

One of the most shocking moments so far this season was President Michener’s apparent suicide on “In the Dark.” Now, there’s a new president, and a lot more changes are heading our way.

Sims discussed that twist as well as a few other things we can expect from the remainder of Season 3.

“I’m really, really going to miss Mark Moses. He did a brilliant job with that role — definitely some of the best acting on the show — and he was just a great, great joy on set. I knew that was coming at some point, and it was very dramatic. I thought they did well with that,” Sims said.

We can also look forward to one character’s return — something we’ve been waiting and hoping for all season long. “We’ll have a returning cast member, a fan favorite. I think you might have seen the trailer to know that Tex is coming back, and that’s gonna be fun. I mean, he comes back with a bang. He comes back pretty hard, so it’s gonna be good.”

It sounds like we can expect more difficulties for the crew as well. “Let’s just say, one of the main characters, you find that they are faced with a very tough decision, and they might not make the right decision,” Sims hinted.

And it’s a good thing The Last Shiphas been renewed for Season 4, because Sims also confirmed there would be another major cliffhanger at the end of Season 3!

Out of all of the characters on the show, Sims said there was one in particular he’d want to have his back if he was in trouble. “If I’m heading into a dangerous situation, I’m probably gonna go to my fellow brother Lt. Green, played by Travis Van Winkle. I think I would choose him, because we’ve been in the trenches together quite a bit — Vulture Team holding it down for each other. And he’s a Navy Seal. He’s smart, he knows his stuff, and he pretty much saved my butt in the second episode, as a matter of fact.”

As for what it’s like behind the scenes, things aren’t so serious — something that’s pretty obvious if you follow the actors on social media.

“This show is like a family, especially now that we’ve done three years so far. And we have a lot of fun. What you see on social media is absolutely true. Kevin [Michael Martin] is the class clown of the set. He plays Miller. And he keeps everybody laughing,” Sims said.

“All of us, we’re all so silly, and we keep it light. Especially because we’re shooting a drama, you know, and it can be very heavy every time that camera’s rolling,” he continued. “So when that camera’s off, I’m telling you, there’s rarely a serious moment. We’re just having fun. We’re like the best of friends. We’re friends for life, and we have each others’ back, you know, being there for each other while we’re filming, just like the real men and women of the Navy. So it’s just a great thing that we have going here.”

In addition to The Last Ship, Sims has a few other things in the works. “I’m actually writing and creating my own comedy series. I’m tired of doing drama, Ashley, my whole career!” Sims laughed. “I’ve just been the dramatic guy, and I’m really silly, as you can tell in our social media videos. I like to have fun.”

“My comedy series is basically about a group of guys trying to make it in the music business, and it’s pretty funny,” Sims continued. “I’m looking forward to doing more of that — writing, directing, and producing. A lot more in the future, actually.”

Sims likes to keep things light when it comes to watching television, too. I asked him what kinds of things he liked to watch, and the answer isn’t drama.

“Oh man. Okay look, I’m a sucker for reality shows. I can’t… I don’t know if it’s because I act and I’m on dramas, but it’s just hard for me to get into scripted series anymore,” Sims admitted. “When I don’t want to think much, I turn on Survivor. I was a huge fan of American Idol, and I’m gonna miss that. I love competition reality shows like Big Brother, that’s my guilty pleasure.”

Be sure to catch Jocko Sims on The Last Ship, airing Sundays at 9/8c on TNT.