Meet Jayme Mantos

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jayme Mantos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jayme, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

I’ve always been an optimist at my core, but what gets me through the tough times is drawing optimism from my community. There’s nothing I love more than seeing my friends growing in their careers and being recognized for their skills after years of watching them put in the work. Being surrounded by talented, hard-working, grounded people drives me to bring my A-game and inspires a belief of “Why not me? We’re all rising together.” It’s great to know people at various stages in their careers too because you can be amazing resources for each other. The VO community in particular is so supportive. We celebrate and root for everybody, which I think helps keep the morale up.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a voice actor and writer, both of which can be solitary careers, but art is such a collaborative medium and getting to build with other people is what really makes it exciting. I’ve been a professional voice actor for 8 years, but I feel like I’ve seen solid progress the past couple of years, largely because I’ve expanded my network and met so many amazing people who are animators, engineers, directors, etc. We hype each other up talking about potential projects we’d like to create together, so it feels less isolating when you’re creating in tandem with others versus in a vacuum.

In my writing, I love telling stories with a heartfelt message, and my projects often address themes of grief, love and loss. Having experienced those in my own life, I want to use my platform to help others feel less alone. Mental health awareness and education is something I’m very passionate about, so I love taking any opportunity to address it, whether in my art, online advocacy, or through my candle company Guiding Glow Candle Co, which helps support The Trevor Project. I’m currently developing multiple animated projects that I can’t wait to share with the world soon, and have recently been cast in some upcoming projects that I’m really excited to be a part of! In the meantime, you can catch some of my original characters on my TikTok page, where I also share mental health tips for actors and comedic sketches. Lots to look forward to!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Oh man, I think the three qualities/skills that have had the greatest impact on my journey are learning the art of resilience, patience, and flexibility. When I first moved out to LA after college I faced a lot of rejection, and now 10 years later my career still doesn’t look like how I thought it would by now or the self-appointed timeline I had given myself. It can feel discouraging, but so many beautiful opportunities have come my way as well that I did not originally expect.

My advice for people who are just starting out on their professional acting journey would be to:
A) Embrace that there are so many factors out of your control as an actor, who developing a strong inner sense of self will help in those moments where resilience is needed because you’re not tying your worth to your booking ratio
B) Patience and flexibility go hand-in-hand because if you’re in this industry for the right reasons, it can take years to achieve “overnight success,” so being open to your career taking different trajectories than you originally planned or happening in a different timeline than you imagined will help you maintain longevity and open yourself up to more surprising opportunities!

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

I’m an anxious person, so I’m definitely prone to feeling overwhelmed at times. I’ve learned that it helps me to tune in to my body and breathe, get quiet and feel what I need in that moment. And that looks different in each situation. For example, if I’m overwhelmed by my To-Do list, I break things down into bite-size, manageable chunks so it feels like I’m making progress with each step I take. If I’m overwhelmed in a social situation, I’ll take a beat alone to ground myself if I’m feeling overstimulated and will leave if that’s what’s best in that moment. If it’s performance-based overwhelm, I’ll let out a deep breath, shake out any nerves, and remind myself that there’s a reason I’m here, so unclench your shoulders and enjoy the ride! The sooner you can identify what you need, the quicker you’ll be able to address and manage it in a way that works best for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jaymemantos.com/vo
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymemantos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaymeMMantos/
• Twitter: https://x.com/JaymeMantos
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQHQvNvRiGbMoSXDG6RYZA
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaymemantos?lang=en

Image Credits

Leah Huebner