Jaime Callica on ‘UnREAL’ Season 3 and Why He’s Proud to be on the Lifetime Series [Exclusive Interview]

UnREAL has a new hottie to reckon with, but he’s not a contestant on Everlasting. Jaime Callica is steaming it up behind the scenes of the show within a show as Jay’s flamboyant boyfriend, Xavier.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Callica about his role on UnREAL, why he’d be a controversial suitor, and more.

Callica’s role as Xavier on UnREAL provides Jay, a lead character on the show, a storyline separate from his job as a producer.

As Callica explained, “this is the first time Jeffrey Bowyer-Champan’s character is having his own really distinct storyline outside of Everlasting. So, for me to be a part of that was really special.” 

The chemistry between the two men was nearly automatic. “It was really easy because [Jeffrey Bowyer-Champan] is such a nice guy. He’s such a nurturing dude that it was super easy,” Callica shared. 

Callica continued, “to be in a romantic relationship with someone who is already super, super nurturing off camera-to bring that on camera just made it all the easier.”

Xavier, or as Callica affectionally refers to him, “Xav,” is a “hottie dancer from New Orleans.” Callica divulged that when Xavier shows up unexpectedly on the Everlasting set, “you’ll see the surprise of the other cast members in the show. They’re shocked too when they learn that Jay has a boyfriend, almost to imply that that’s not been his style previously.”

Jaime Callica himself usually spends at least six months getting to know someone before labeling “boyfriend and girlfriend.” But, he imagines that for Xavier and Jay it was “hot and heavy” from the start.

Callica shared that he thinks that for the Jay and Xav, “It would’ve definitely been-they met, they felt an instant chemistry and [Jay] loved what he loved about Xav and then they became boyfriends.”

Callica wants to do justice to his character, Xavier, but it was not always easy.

“I was having a bit of a like identity crisis almost. Where, as a straight man you know playing a gay character, I didn’t want to be stereotypically flamboyant, but I also didn’t want to be underwhelming in the performance. So, finding a good place to be for this character that was written as super flamboyant was hard,” Callica admitted.

“I actually had to sit down with Shiri, and I kind of pulled her aside for a second. I just admitted that to her. And I said I don’t know how to play this guy. I don’t know how gay to play him or how not gay to play him. She says, ‘Listen, let the chemistry between you and Jeffrey be the thing that shows. Two humans that love each other and care for each other. And then just be Jamie and do what you’re gonna do. It’ll come out naturally.’ You know what that’s great advice. And from there, that’s the character you’ll see. It’s just based off Shiri’s advice,” he explained further.

Callica watches the show The Bachelor each week as a special treat with his bestie. But, he was surprised to learn about the realities of “Reality TV.”

“When I booked this, I had no idea the level the people were produced,” he confessed. “It was such an eye-opening thing, when I got on the show, to see how much it has to happen like that.”

He explained his experience, saying “I’ll watch certain scenarios on let’s say The Bachelor, where the girls that aren’t on that one-on-one are on the balcony drinking champagne or wine or whatever. And then they all just happen to go on the balcony to see Ari or Nick or whoever on a seado on the water in Miami, and then kiss. That’s produced!”

“There was someone that stood there and said ‘Hey ladies! you know maybe you guys should go get some air, bring your wine outside.’ And then the cameras follow them […] then cue Bachelor riding across on a yacht. And then you’re catching all the natural reactions. But, that moment was produced! Before the show, I never thought about that.”

Even with his new insider knowledge, Jaime Callica would consider being on The Bachelor himself, but only as a suitor.

“I’m way too jealous of a person to be the contestant,” he said.

“It drives me crazy when I watch some of the suitors — how they deal with the contestants. Because if I was there, it’d be a real no-nonsense approach.”

“People would love me or hate me as Bachelor because I wouldn’t put their hand on my chest and coddle them. My approach would be very, very different, it’d be really, really Toronto,” he opined.

Callica is proud of the work UnREAL is doing to showcase ambitious women.

“I’m working hard to achieve a goal. The show kind of really, really pushes that. And this season you see with the female suitress and Quinn and the ladies, you know really going hard on taking what’s theirs. It lines up beautifully with a lot of things that are happening socially.”

Be sure to watch Jaime Callica heat things up on UnREAL, airing Mondays at 10/9c on Lifetime.

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