Nick Jonas, the coolest hero in 'Jumanji: Next Level,' says coach battles are already raging on 'The Voice'

LOS ANGELES – As fans pack Hollywood Boulevard, waiting for the premiere of "Jumanji: The Next Level," star Nick Jonas slides into a seat at Library Bar in the nearby Roosevelt Hotel with a slight, confident smile that says no party is going to start until he shows up.

His impeccable trace of facial stubble is the only sign of the actor/pop star's impossible schedule as Jonas lays out his past 24 hours: performing "Boogie Wonderland" at the Kennedy Center Honors, landing in LA at 4 a.m. ("I guess it was last night," he ponders) and crashing for a few hours of shut-eye before being awoken for a charity softball event ("I literally had one of those moments where I was like, 'Where am I?' ").

He reveals one secret that slapped him back to reality and got him into Nick Jonas premiere perfection in head-to-toe Fendi.

"I went to one of my usual spots to take some heat," says Jonas, helpfully adding with a slight arch of the eyebrow, "in the sauna."

An important clarification because Jonas, 27, has turned into 2019's self-generating heat source, owning the year's celebrity news in ways that would make even his "Jumanji" super co-stars Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson envious.

Since his sensational, and seemingly endless, wedding festivities with wife Priyanka Chopra last December, Jonas has toured the nation with the reunited Jonas Brothers, riding high with the hit single "Sucker." With the U.S. tour winding down, Jonas pulled a surprise on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," announcing he'll join the star-studded coaches on Season 18 of "The Voice."

He has put a bow on a stellar 2019, appearing in November's surprise box-office hit "Midway" as real-life World War II hero Bruno Gaido, and returning in "Jumanji 2" (in theaters Friday) as the cool video-game avatar Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough.

Director Jake Kasdan knew he had to have Jonas back for the sequel. "Nick has the presence of a movie star, and the ease and naturalism of a very quiet, subtle actor," he says. "He's perfect for this."

Even though Jonas had to work a compressed "Jumanji" shooting schedule, given the demands of his music career, he still yukked it up with Johnson, Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan on the Atlanta set and atop freezing Calgary mountains for the winter shoot.

The "Jumanji" perks had their payoffs, with Jonas braving the Canadian winter wearing the adventure film's most dashing yet practical costume: a full-leather pilot jumpsuit.

"I certainly felt I had the coolest outfit and the warmest outfit – most everyone else was freezing," says Jonas, who needled alpha avatar Johnson for his impractical muscle-revealing number. "His character has to keep his arms uncovered. He couldn’t go without showing those off."

Seaplane earns his heroic "Jumanji 2" solo screen time, navigating a "Raiders of a Lost Ark"-style booby-trapped room, which the star laughingly calls his "Indiana Jonas" moment. Jonas also insisted on riding a bareback horse himself, which rears back in one scene. "I called him up before shooting and asked, 'How are you on a horse?' and he said, 'I got it.' And he did,' " says Kasdan.

In his Instagram-ready home life, Jonas and Chopra have kept fans tuned into their romance. One year into marriage, he waxes romantically, putting his power 2019 into perspective.

"It’s been so nice to know I have that person by my side through all of it," Jonas says. "It’s something I wake up and I feel very grateful for every day."

Former "Quantico" star Chopra recently surprised her sleeping (shirtless, naturally) husband with an instantly besotted German shepherd puppy as a one-year anniversary gift, posting the hilarious video on Instagram.

"He was in all in. It’s like he knew that I was his guy, right away," says Jonas, who dubbed his puppy son Gino.

Their "beautiful connection" is chronicled on his Gino the German Instagram account, which is filled with adorable dog and owner shots – and has an impressive 329K following.

"I think he’s a star. But only if he wants that life. I won’t push it on him," onetime child performer Jonas jokes, adding that he's not threatened by the pooch's good looks. "I would love for him to be more famous than me and any other dog on Instagram."

He acknowledges being surprised by Gino's fierce family-first instincts on their initial public walk amid the ubiquitous paparazzi in New York. "First day out, I had to chill him out. It was very odd to see his awareness of that. He was just being protective," says Jonas.

He might need to unleash Gino as he takes his "Voice" coach's chair alongside Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend. Even in preliminary tapings, Jonas says, the barbs are flying in the singing competition – and not just with Shelton, who started the trash-talking on "Ellen."

"They cut me some slack on Day One. But on the second day, it was like, 'They took off the gloves today,' " says Jonas, eyes widening. "I expected an ally. But they all just piled on. They know how to work you as the new guy."

To his surprise, lovable country singer Clarkson was his most frequent nemesis. "Kelly and I regularly battled it out, which meant occasionally throwing one person under the bus," he says.

"Also John (Legend) is" – Jonas searches for the right word – "very confident. We all do our best to give him some healthy perspective."

But Jonas is sure he'll hold his own, while not predicting victory (it'll spook his team of young singers). As far as rookie hazing goes, he's like, let 'em rip.

"That’s an important lesson," Jonas says. "Because when there’s a new new coach and I’m the veteran coach, I will also give them a harder time on the second day."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Jumanji: Next Level': Nick Jonas talks 'Voice' battles, puppy love