Meet John Jiang

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Jiang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

John, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Being the only Asian in the room for me as an actor has been a norm in most of the time. However, in the past year or two I start to see a lot of more people like me and these moments remind me of why I am still trying my best all the time. When I am the only representation in the room, I often take it as a sign and an opportunity to be an ambassador for my people and my culture. And in today’s American’s creative industry people want to hear voices that haven’t been given spot lights before. I encourage everyone to not hold back but to embrace who they are more especially when you are the only representation.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is John Jiang and I’m an actor who is about to graduate from American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I came from Xinjiang province in mainland China, and I’ve been pursuing my dream here in the states for over a decade now. Over the years I’ve seen more and more propel like me are taking the center of the silver screen or their time to shine on broadway. I’ve become more grateful for those came before us and didn’t give up, so we can hop on this ride to show the world who we are as humans.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think the first and for most import quality is to not take things personally, and allow yourself to have fun. Let’s just be honest, if you are someone who is trying to be an actor to get rich I’ll say go to wall street that’s where money is at. So when facing criticism and approaching my work, I always remind myself to have fun and play.
Another quality is essential is to always be prepared. When it comes to acting, some days I will have to run from a matinée to a filming set, and knowing your instrument which is your body and give it what’s best as you can will help you a long way.
The last thing is to keep practice and learn. One of my favorite activity is to run my lines when I’m doing random things such as walking, cooking or even folding laundry. Sometimes allowing myself to do on semi autopilot mode really helps me to make unusually connections that I wouldn’t otherwise.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m currently looking for young passionate people who wants to tell good stories through film. I’ve been doing a lot of theater and I have a love for it always, but I have been wanting to expand my artistic abilities. I don’t know too well in terms of the technical side of film making, so I would love to meet people who have skills in those areas such as cinematography, color grading or editing. You can always DM me on instagram JohnJiang98. I look forward to collaborating with y’all!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: JohnJiang98

Image Credits

Hanjie Chow
Danny Bristoll
Deborah Lopez