Meet Jordan Oakley

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

Jordan, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

When I was really young, whenever I scraped my knees or got sick, I’d tell myself the same thing- this won’t last until college. My little self would screw up her face and try to imagine themselves in a dorm, and the image of myself with that same scrape on my knee was clearly ridiculous. It would heal. These things didn’t last forever. Obviously, I’ve had to adjust this sentiment as I’ve grown older. I’ve graduated college, I’ve moved on into the world. But, this notion that there is a future where these momentary pains no longer exists keeps me afloat.

As an artists trying to make a name for myself, the ability to look at these painful moments where I have to face rejection and know that they are going to pass is essential. What matters is that the one thing I could never envision in my made-up future was a time when I gave up on my career.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

It’s lovely to meet you. My name is Jordan, and I’m a screenwriter and actor.

My passion for theater and writing has been lifelong. I taught myself how to speak to other kids by reading books- though quoting The Raven didn’t win me any friends in kindergarten. While this did not help me converse with my fellow five year olds, it taught me something more valuable- I lived for words. An inexhaustible resource for expression, there will always be some combination of letters that cut to the core of what someone wants to say.

Now, that passion has pushed me towards my ambition to become an influential actor and showrunner. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of projects like the award winning play Sunken and had my feature script Only Sunshine awarded at several festivals. But this is only the start for me, and I plan on moving forward towards Oscars, Emmys, and producing my own series.

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 believe one of the qualities that kept me going was my pragmatic nature. I knew, even from a young age, that this life I wanted to make would be incredibly fraught. There was no safety net for me in terms of money or connections, just a bone deep belief in myself and a work ethic I’d honed over the years. I came into this industry with my eyes open, ready to face the fact that it would hurt sometimes. Knowing this, I was prepared. It still hurts sometimes, don’t get me wrong. Rejection, insecurity, all the things that plague artists still plague me. Luckily, I have another skill that helps keep the pragmatism working.

I’m used to hitting the mat, so to speak. It was an inside joke amongst combat instructors and gym buddies that no matter how many times I was knocked on my ass, I’d hop back up and ask to go another round. One even nicknamed me “Little Bunny” because I was always bouncing back up (and because I’m short.) Rejected? So what? I’ll hop into another audition, another interview. There’s always a little more fight in me.

And on a practical note, be good at saving money. Seriously. The Starving Artist is not a trope you want to be a part of.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I’m always looking for fellow writers and producers to get projects off the ground. I could talk anyone’s ears off about the stories I’m plotting out, but I want to put it into motion. I plan on producing my first feature and a horror pilot, and would love to speak with anyone who would be interested in these projects.

Feel free to DM me on Instagram! Apparently that’s how project planning happens now.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Skylar Shen
Stephanie Girard

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