Jake Picking

Jake Picking is an American actor who gained notable recognition for portraying Rock Hudson in the Netflix series Hollywood (2020), a creation of Ryan Murphy. He also notable played the role of Sean Collier in Patriots Day (2016), and made an appearance in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). In 2022, he further expanded his repertoire by starring as young Gerald Ford in the Showtime series The First Lady.

Picking was born in Erlangen, Germany and later grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. His journey into acting was encouraged by his high school math teacher, which led him to take lessons with Carolyn Pickman, a renowned casting agent. He made his feature film debut in 2013 with The Way, Way Back, a youth film which also starred Steve Carell. Over the years, Picking featured in numerous movie productions, primarily in supporting roles. Some of his remarkable performances include his part in the drama Goat (2016) where he portrayed the sadistic oath master Dixon, tormenting character Brett (Nick Jonas), and his role in Patriots Day (2016) where he dramatized the part of policeman Sean Collier, who falls victim to the bombers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Alex Wolff and Themo Melikidze). By 2022, Picking had further etched his acting talents by appearing in the Top Gun sequel Top Gun: Maverick as Lt. Brigham 'Harvard' Lennox.