What Jake From State Farm Has Shared About His Real-Life Family

Kevin Miles was born and raised on Chicago's South Side, and he's darn proud of that fact — and his family. Miles may have found fame in Los Angeles. playing Jake from State Farm, a role he took over from the original real-life employee Jake Stone in 2020, but he keeps his roots close to his heart and still sees himself as "Southside Kev," he told the Chicago Tribune in 2021. And he still goes back as often as he can. "There's so much culture, especially on the South Side," he said.

What Miles misses the most, however, is the food. "When I go back, that's when I'm like: 'Look, the nutrition plan is out the window," he said, listing Italian Fiesta Pizzeria, Giordano's, Harold's Chicken Shack, and Maxwell Street polishes as some of his favorites. "We're gonna hit that grease and live a Chicago life right now." Miles has no regrets about taking the plunge and leaving his stomping grounds behind, though. He's excited about his trajectory, which couldn't have happened back home.

But it's clear he's proud of where he comes from and his journey from "Southside Kev" to Jake from State Farm. "Normally I post about the past times on my birthday ... But after this year, I look forward to these present moments & times," he wrote in a July 2021 Instagram post. While he often references bygone days, Miles never gets specific about his personal life — past or present. Still, he has shared a few insights that indicate the role his family played in his success.

If we love the new Jake from State Farm, we should thank his parents. Without them, Kevin Miles wouldn't have fallen in love with acting. Through his father, Miles discovered film noir. His father noticed his interest and encouraged it. "You're watching all these shows on TV of these people doing all these cool things and you want to be them. And as an actor, you can be anything," Miles recalled his father telling him in a 2021 interview with Forbes.

In a June 2020 Instagram post, Miles thanked his dad for the role he inadvertently played in his future. "I wouldn't have dreamed of where I want to go if it wasn't introduced by you," he captioned his Father's Day tribute. His mother and grandmother, on the other hand, introduced him to the world of theater. And theater is where Miles got his start. His first play was "Romeo and Juliet" back in elementary school.

He played Lord Capulet, a role that showed him the power of theater. "It was my first time on-stage and I just remember feeling like I was Marlon Brando in 'The Godfather' up there," he told Forbes. Miles realized how much he could do. In fact, Miles credits this background for his success in the State Farm commercial. "I come from a theater background anyway so doing Jake is so close to me," he said on the "Dan Patrick Show" in 2021.

Kevin Miles hasn't publicly shared details about his childhood, but he has indicated he didn't always have it easy. "Happy 30th kid, proud of you. I get emotional reminiscing about our past time," he captioned a July 2020 Instagram post featuring pictures of himself as a child. "Hardships turned to golden memories and life lessons that I keep close to my heart, our heart." Whatever difficulties he faced, Miles is glad to have had both of his parents by his side.

In his Instagram tribute to his father, Miles referenced a shared suffering. "Our tragic times are my most cherished memories," he wrote. Some of his wording suggests his family faced financial troubles. In a May 2020 Instagram post in honor of Mother's Day, Miles highlighted his mother's struggles to ensure he always had food on his plate. "Not a day I can remember where you weren't working, or finding a way to make it work. Making sure I had it better than you had it," he wrote.

Even if his career choice came with lots of uncertainties, Miles' mother still did what she could to support him. When Miles got a one-way ticket to L.A. to embark on his journey, his mother went with him. "[She] helped me get this old used Mustang and she left the next day," he told Forbes. Miles never forgot her dedication. "This time around, I'm gonna make sure life is better than before, for you," he wrote.