My name is Karl Johan Seitz. And you may know me as young Jack Damon on “This Is Us”.
This is me…
I was born and raised in Southern California. I was also born with bilateral Peters Anomaly, a rare genetic condition that clouded the front of my corneas and severely limited my vision.
Dr. Bibiana Reiser (my favorite doctor in the world) has been caring for me at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for over seven years and checks my eyes monthly. I have undergone 21 surgeries, including several cornea transplants. As a result, I was able to gain a limited amount of my vision back – but I am a great Braille reader and cane user thanks to my teachers Parissa Lamarra and Andy Griffith.
I am eight-years-old and am in Mr. Collins second grade class. I love to tell jokes and I post Jokes of the Day on my Instagram page.
I’m also an equestrian. I ride a big bay horse named Jack. I recently competed in the CALNET horse show for disabled children. I like to dance in a charity German dance group with my cousins, Jack and Ella. I play the piano and sing in the John Mercer choir.
I enjoy swimming, reading and especially playing with my two cats, Molly and Shelly. But my most favorite thing to do is play with my sister Kirra, who is 3. We snuggle, play games and I teach her things. She is my best friend.
And This Is Us…
I like being an actor. I have gotten to appear on the show “This Is Us,” a television commercial and a few plays!
“This Is Us” was my favorite so far. My mom and dad helped me learn my lines. Everyone was so nice to me while we were filming.
Mandy Moore and Chrissy Metz always laughed at my jokes and Jennifer Morrison helped me do my ring bearer walk on set.
But my favorite was Chris Geere. He played my stepdad. He was always talking to me, making sure that I was comfortable with how the filming was going, and we took a selfie together on the last day. That meant a lot to me.
Acting could be a little bit scary but they made sure I had so much fun. I am really trying to be independent and I was happy the show let me portray my character that way. I can do anything I put my mind to and it is important that the world knows that #BlindKidsCan.
This Is Us was fun, and was a great way to show others what I can do and I even got a new friend out of it; my on-screen sister, Sophia Sawaya.
About the Author
Karl Seitz is an eight-year-old visually impaired actor best known for his role as “Jack Jr.” on NBC’s “This is Us.”
To keep up with Karl and his daily jokes, follow him on Instagram at @Karl.J.Seitz.
Photo credit: Gayle Dawn Photography
