What can you tell me about the actor who played Jake on Becker? Is he really blind?
¬óRollin C. Smith, Chamberlain, S.D.
No, Alex Désert (pronounced Dez-air) is not blind. “I did a lot of research before getting the part,” he says. “I went to the Braille Institute and shadowed some blind people to get some lessons.” Since Becker left the air in 2004, Désert, 39, executive-produced a film called Fronterz, “about some classically trained black actors who can’t get any acting jobs because the rappers have taken them all.” In addition to his TV and movie work, he’s also the lead singer with a Los Angeles ska band, Hepcat.
