As they often say in Hollywood, “it's not what you know but who you know.” And those words certainly ring true for up-and-coming star Jacob Gutierrez, whose career-turning breakout role in Netflix’s new series Big Mistakes was all made possible by his very observant niece.
Before landing the role of Tareq — the studly, down-to-earth boyfriend to Dan Levy’s Nicky — Gutierrez found himself at the crossroads of a mid-career pivot. In one lane was his acting career, where he had already turned heads and made a name for himself after taking on the titular lead in Aladdin on Broadway. But after experiencing a lengthy industry shutdown due to the pandemic, the Midwest-born actor realized he had to have a backup plan, so he transitioned into the world of clinical psychology, keeping his acting career as a side hustle.
“Before Big Mistakes happened, that was the trajectory I was on. I just wanted to reinvest in myself,” Gutierrez says, reflecting on that pivotal summer. “I was going to still act when I can — but see what happens. So much of this business is out of your control.”
Then came the fateful phone call that changed everything. His 21-year-old niece, Maddie, was interning at Gayle Keller Casting. While working on a new comedy-crime thriller from Schitt’s Creek mastermind Dan Levy and Bottoms star and executive producer Rachel Sennott, she heard a description of a character that sounded suspiciously familiar.
“My niece calls me and says, ‘Hey, I'm working on this new Dan Levy comedy and we can't find this role to play his boyfriend. We just got off a call with [Dan], and he was describing what he needed out of this guy. And it's you, Jake, it's you,’” Gutierrez recalls. “I, at my age, was like, ‘OK, that's very sweet, Maddie.’ I even jokingly said, ‘I can't play Dan’s boyfriend. I have thick eyebrows.’”
Despite his skepticism, Gutierrez took his niece’s advice and submitted an audition tape, admitting that he even briefly “forgot about it,” until casting got back to him a few weeks later with some promising news: “They really loved your tape. Here's some notes from Dan,” Gutierrez recalls. “At this point, I thought, oh, OK. I must have a shot at this.”
Those audition-tape notes from Levy required Gutierrez to submit a retape, one that was due just minutes before he and his partner were hosting guests for the Fourth of July. Weeks later, he found himself booking an in-person chemistry read with Levy. A week after that, he was meeting with the wardrobe team for costume fittings. “It was a roller coaster,” he says. “It was out of left field.”
Jacob Gutierrez as Tareq and Dan Levy as Nicky in 'Big Mistakes.'Courtesy Netflix
In Big Mistakes, the stakes are considerably higher than the title suggests. The series follows Nicky (Levy) and Morgan (Taylor Ortega), a dysfunctional brother and sister who find themselves blackmailed into performing increasingly dangerous errands for organized crime. At the center of the emotional heart of the show is the relationship between Nicky (Levy) and Tareq (Gutierrez).
Related: Out cover stars Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega talk their guilty-pleasure show Big Mistakes
Nicky, who is out to his family, is a not-so-great-under-pressure gay church pastor who is leaving his delegation so he can be with his boyfriend, Tareq, out in the open. The two have kept their relationship on the down-low, even from Nicky’s family. And as Nicky’s criminal entanglements put him even more on edge, it adds another level of strain to their already secretive relationship.
Tareq, who has no idea his boyfriend is moonlighting for nefarious forces, is your everyday carpenter with scruffy good looks — a “dude’s dude” who is as comfortable with a power drill as he is with a witty repartee. For Gutierrez, the role wasn't just a fit; it was like looking at a reflection in the mirror.
“I read the script, and I was like, ‘Oh, I know this dude,’” Gutierrez says, acknowledging that his niece’s instincts were right on the money. “I was like, I get the humor. I get the comedy. I get the banter. I get it.”
“Tareq is a contractor and I, during the pandemic, restored this log cabin myself,” he continued, gesturing to the rustic home behind him. [Editor’s note: If you take a quick glance at Gutierrez’s official Instagram, you’ll see he isn’t all talk; his woodwork is simply gorgeous.]
“I know how to build things. I landscaped my backyard. I can use my hands. I know how to use power tools [laughs], but truly, I have a workbench in my basement.”
The connection was so uncanny that during costume tests, Gutierrez showed Levy a photo of himself working on his home. “I told Dan, ‘I have this exact outfit at home. This is me actually redoing my log cabin.’”
Beyond the physical similarities and common wardrobe, Gutierrez tapped into the “pokey” energy of his own long-term relationship with his partner, Anthony. “The playful banter of [Nicky and Tareq], I really understand,” he explains. “That is how we operate. It's very tongue in cheek. We try to push each other's buttons ... that dynamic, I innately understood.”
Joining a project helmed by the creative forces behind Schitt’s Creek is an intimidating task for any actor, but Big Mistakes upped the ante by casting TV legend and multi-Emmy winner Laurie Metcalf as Nicky’s mother. For Gutierrez, being on set was a masterclass in professional versatility.
“Laurie is a force,” he says. “Her presence is so magnetic and she just comes in with all these different choices. Everyone was just stifling laughter behind the wall on set ... she’s so funny.”
As for his onscreen partner and the show's creator, Gutierrez speaks with a sense of awe regarding Levy’s ability to “seamlessly change hats” between showrunner, writer, and actor. “He created this canvas for people to go and paint,” he says. “And Dan’s scripts are so quick and witty. You got to be quick. You got to keep up. You have to be able to spar in that way.”
That “sparring” isn't just for laughs. The show explores the nuanced power dynamics of same-sex relationships — what Gutierrez describes as the “orb of the ball of power” being volleyed back and forth.
“I firmly believe it’s unique to same-sex relationships,” Gutierrez explains. “There is a subtle power dynamic that gets to be exchanged. That's what keeps it frenetic and what it keeps it alive. That was such an incredible part of their relationship that I really enjoyed getting to play with because that’s the glue, right?”
Big Mistakes also touches on the relatability of private versus public lives, especially for queer couples navigating complicated social or professional circles.
“There is the public life and there is the private life,” Gutierrez notes. “I do not know what goes on behind closed doors in any of my friends' relationships. Nor is it really my business, right? And so, in our story, we got to experience that behind closed doors. It was a true representation of exploring that.”
Jacob Gutierrez and Dan Levy attend the NYC Premiere Screening and Party for BIG MISTAKES on April 06, 2026 in New York City.Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Netflix
With a major Netflix platform, a skyrocketed Instagram following is almost a guaranteed certainty for a rising openly gay star who many might deem as one of Hollywood’s latest heartthrobs. However, Gutierrez is approaching his possible newfound fame with the measured perspective of someone who has seen the unpredictability of the industry firsthand.
“I hold everything with an open palm, loosely,” he says. “I’m not owed anything, I have no expectations of it all coming to me. I think that’s one of my saving graces at this point in my life: I’m super realistic.”
That realism is bolstered by the fact that he hasn't abandoned his “alternate” path just because he landed a role in Big Mistakes. Between auditions, a lot of time is still devoted to his educational journey.
“My days are filled with diagnostic assessments and learning psychopathology. In the life sense, it teaches you a lot about yourself. I have a lot of interest in mental health. I'm in grad school right now. I have another year of that program.”
When he wants to turn off his brain and escape from his studies, you can find the self-proclaimed “house-project king” at his beautiful log cabin home on the lake. Far from the red carpets of Los Angeles or the busy streets of New York, Gutierrez is most at home ripping out dead trees, barbecuing, or taking his boat out for the summer.
“The city is great, but the country is better,” he says with a smile.
During every episode of Big Mistakes, a bulk of the ill-advised “mistakes” that spiral out of control mostly stem from the actions of Nicky's bullheaded sister, Morgan. Gutierrez candidly admits that, while he’s never made mistakes as outrageous as the characters in the show, he’s had his fair share of innocent mistakes in real life, including an amusing anecdote from his childhood.
At age 7, after his father explained the concept of eBay auctions, the young Gutierrez — obsessed with pianos at the time — decided to take matters into his own hands.
“I won seven or eight auctions of grand pianos on eBay,” he laughs. “My dad had to write to all of these people and be like, ‘I’m so sorry, my child bought this and I can’t pay for it.’ It was thousands of dollars ... So that’s a mistake I made. Don’t go on a shopping spree on eBay.”
Today, Gutierrez — who is also a professional pianist and saxophonist according to his résumé — has the grand piano he always wanted, a dream role he didn't see coming, and a level-headedness that is rare in Hollywood. Whether he's navigating a fictional mafia plot or a real-life psychology exam, the multi-talented actor remains “in the arena” — blood, sweat, and all — but he’s keeping it realistic along the way, with no expectations.
“Everything could change from this or I could stay right where I'm going,” he says as he awaits the premiere of Big Mistakes on April 9. “I filmed three auditions last night so, already, you're in the arena. The Teddy Roosevelt ‘man in the arena’ quote is one of my favorites and this is definitely a moment where I feel like I am back. Getting to explore the comedy on this set, I learned so much from everyone. I think there's a groundedness, down-to-earthness that I like to explore and play with. And from there, that's where the foundation goes. What else could be built on it?”
“I'm definitely a growth-oriented person," he contines. "Whatever it is that happens next, it’s going to level up. I don’t know how to function without doing that. Stagnancy is everyone's worst enemy, or at least it's mine.”
Big Mistakes premieres on Netflix on April 9. Be sure to check out our March/April cover story with Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega.
