 At the urging of his aunt, Jacob acted very briefly in film, with a bit part in the 1951 Ronald Reagan western "The Last Outpost" at the age of six, and after that he performed as Tad Lincoln in a staging of "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" at the University of Arizona.Jacob appeared in several childrens' theatre performances in Tucson, but at age nine he was done with his acting career.Though he wished to be a musician, Jacob did not want to practice the piano, which made him realize he would never be a great pianist.