During last summer's television critics press tour, NBC scheduled a "Teen Photo Event" for the fan magazine press.
Young stars of NBC series all had their turns preening and posing in front of the camera while rock music pounded in the background.Among those on parade were the stars of "Blossom," "A Different World," "Eerie, Indiana," "Fresh Prince," "The Torkelsons," "Saved By the Bell" - and an extremely uncomfortable looking Jeremy London of "I'll Fly Away."
"That was really awful for me," London said almost five months later. "I couldn't believe it.
"I'm really, like, weirded out by all the publicity. I don't see myself like they do. It's so strange to have a lot of people standing around me. I don't think I'm any more special than anyone else.
"I don't understand why anyone would want my autograph. I even think that's strange."
And London hasn't had much time to get used to the attention that comes with acting. The 19-year-old was waiting tables at the Holiday Inn in his hometown of DeSoto, Texas, last year when one of his customers - a model - suggested he contact her agency.
"I thought it was kind of crazy, but we went ahead and did it," he said.
Within a matter of weeks, London, his identical twin brother, Jason, and his 16-year-old sister, Dedra, all had acting parts. Jason was cast in the feature film "The Man In the Moon," with Jeremy as his stunt double. Jeremy and Dedra both got parts in the TV movie "In Broad Daylight" and Jeremy got a part in another telefilm, "Seduction in Travis County."
Although he was "only" the stunt double, London said he loved making "Man In the Moon."
"It was really cool. I did his driving and things like jumping off piers," he said. "It was great."
When it came time to cast "I'll Fly Away," producers Joshua Brand and John Falsey were extremely interested in Jason. "Man In the Moon" starred Sam Waterston, who also stars in "Fly Away."
But Jason was under contract to Fox. After making the pilot for a modern-day vampire series, "Blood Ties," Jason was caught in limbo while the network decided the series' fate. (It eventually decided not to pick up the show.)
So the talent search began again.
"Jason told them, `Would you at least see my brother?' " Jeremy said. "It wasn't like they just gave me the part because I was his twin brother. They weren't all that excited, but I did some tests and they ended up casting me."
Not bad for a guy whose entire resume before last year consisted of a couple of high school plays.
London plays Nathaniel Bedford, the moody 16-year-old, wrestling son in "I'll Fly Away," which is proving to be one of the best series on network television. It was recently voted the best series on TV by the Viewers for Quality Television.
Set in the late '50s in the South, the series tackles not just family issues but the onset of the Civil Rights movement.
"I can't wait to read the scripts when I get them," London said. "And I watch the show every week."
What has come as a surprise to the young actor is how tough a job acting is.
"I never really saw making movies as real work, but it is," London said. "It's very stressful, extremely hard work. You can't take off if you need to take off. It's really long hours.
"It's not like construction work, but it's hard."
Something else that "weirded him out" was a scene in the pilot that called for London and two other young actors to stand naked in the middle of the high school football field. (It was, however, quite tastefully shot for television standards.)
"Are you kidding? That was unbelievable," London said. "We're standing out there flashing everybody. But after a while, you sort of get used to it."
That scene was part of an initiation to the wrestling team, and as a former wrestler "from a family of wrestlers," London couldn't be more pleased with that aspect of his character.
"I love it. I love the fact that they stuck wrestling in there. It's like giving credit to the sport," he said.
But the wrestling scenes are at least as grueling as any real match.
"They're extremely real. It's exhausting. You have to wrestle for 14 hours straight and put your whole self into it," London said.
What also makes working on "I'll Fly Away" at least somewhat harder is that it's shot on location in Atlanta, far from London's family and friends.
"It kind of gets lonely," he said. "It's especially hard getting away. I don't see much of anybody, even my brother anymore."
That's more than a bit of an adjustment after growing up as a twin.
"You've always got a companion when you're a twin," he said. "You've always got a friend, and somebody to beat up, too, when you need somebody to beat up."
When he can find time, London writes music and sings with his brother. "We love country and western music," he said. "What I'd really love to do is cut an album some day."
Not that he's not happy with his part in "I'll Fly Away."
"I just get chills when I see us on TV," London said. "I have to slap myself so I know it's real. It's just incredible."
Even if it comes with the burdens of fame.
"I heard some people are starting up a fan club," London said. "I'm like, `No way!' "