Being an actor requires you to be confident in yourself on and off the camera. Ever since he was a kid, Jordan Nancarrow dreamt of being an actor on the big screens. He grew up in Kent, Washington, but didn’t exactly have the resources that helped him become who he is today. Fortunately, we had an opportunity to interview Jordan Nancarrow and talk about his career life and what it takes to be a successful actor.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about yourself, who are you, and what do you do?

A: Yeah, of course! Thanks for having me. A little bit about me? Let’s see… Well, as you may know, I pursue a career in entertainment, but what you may not know about me – or I guess I could say what most don’t know about me is that I’m a pretty big introvert. It’s funny, you’d think someone who pursues this career path is a social butterfly, but I can also say I come with a good mix. I love being alone and investing that time into what I love and into the aspect of business. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I create some exciting content, and that’s something I really enjoy doing in my spare time – graphic design, voice over projects, and really just hanging out, playing basketball, and bettering myself by the day. 

As I was saying before, I do entertainment – film, and television. You can catch me on Roku in one of my latest shows, Group Chat, and some movies I was in, in the past. Other than that, I’m just blessed to be where I’m at today as the journey continues and more projects to get my hands on.

Q: What’s a piece of advice you’d give to starting actors?

A: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Everyone wants to get an agent, a manager, or drop everything they’re doing to move to Los Angeles. Trust me; your time will come if this is something you seriously want to do. You need the job you have now to supplement the path of acting. Believe me. This is where you need to start: Get yourself some professional headshots. Commercial and film. They differentiate, so do a little bit of homework to find those sources where you can get some shots in one of these days. Also, don’t let your friends take your photos unless they do them professionally. I know you got supportive friends, but you gotta do what’s best for you and your career at the end of the day. Once you get these shots, these are your marketing tools to pitch these agents and managers down the road eventually. Other than that, get yourself in classes. Just like an athlete, you got to train yourself. Take both acting and business classes. Most people have the creative side down but lack the business side of things. It’s called showbiz for a reason!

Q: What does being an actor mean to you?

A: It means I get to explore a broader version of myself. Portraying different roles and applying myself to them is what real acting is about. If you’re just “acting,” to me, you’re not genuinely acting, if that makes sense? Open up and be you because nobody can play a better version of you than you. 

Q: What are your future goals as an actor?

A: Man. I have a lot of goals. But here’s one of the primary ones that I’d love to accomplish. One of my future goals is to create a course to inspire actors of all ages that it’s never too early or too late to start this career path. If you’re wise enough at the age of 5 to understand what I’m saying, it will help you. If you’re 75 and you want to start acting, let’s get rolling! Entertainment is never going anywhere. Let me show you the ropes and help give you shortcuts of what not to do so you can land at your destination much sooner, you know? This would be my chance to show my knowledge and wisdom to the world that’d purchase my course, and I’d make sure that the investment put into purchasing it, the ROI and value they’d receive back would be larger than they expected. 

Q: What are some achievements in your career so far?

A: I’m incredibly grateful for my achievements in my career so far. I won’t list every single one of them, but I’ll give you a couple. When you think about it, it is crazy how life works sometimes, isn’t it? I did an interview a while back about a question like this in the past, and it was me envisioning me being in a horror movie when I was eight years old. I didn’t have the resources or connections to even think about doing something like that at that age, but I always manifested it. Fifteen years later, at the age of twenty-three, my dreams came true, and I starred in a horror film called Holiday Hell, which you can watch on Tubi. One of my favorite quotes is, “It’s already done, time just hasn’t caught up yet” – this was one of those moments. I was stunned. 

Another achievement I’d say is that I didn’t ever give up on the process. This is an achievement for me. This industry is HARD. I can’t even sugarcoat that, but it’s built me up thick skin and because of all of the rejections and no’s I’ve received in my life, I have no problem taking risks or doing anything outside of my comfort zone because I only know it’s going to make me stronger if it doesn’t work out. 

Q: When did you decide you wanted to be an actor?

A: I would say that I finalized my thoughts when I was a senior in high school that this is something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I did West Side Story and played the role of Bernardo. Being up on that stage in front of hundreds of people, the rush of adrenaline with excitement when I spoke word for word… yeah, that’s when it really hit me. But after I graduated, I knew that theater wasn’t my calling because I loved being in front of the camera. That’s when I decided that I wanted to do film and television more, and then the rest followed. 

Q: Did you have any struggles on the way?

A: Absolutely! If you’re an actor reading this saying that you’ve never had struggles, then you haven’t failed enough yet. FAIL, because that’s what builds that thick skin like I was talking about. Anyways, yes – multiple struggles. It was tough in my earlier days because you’re just starting fresh, nobody knows who you are, and it takes patience and time developing those skills in front of the camera. Rejection after rejection at the auditions when I thought I put on a killer one but realized after I didn’t get it made me extremely emotional. Wondering if I wasn’t good enough, is this the right career path for me? Constant doubts. Also, if you’re reading this and have never done an audition or don’t know much about how the process works, sometimes films and commercials or advertisements of any sort have nothing to do with your skill. It’s a stunning appearance-based industry as well, so that’s why it’s also essential to understand never to take anything personally if you didn’t get the part. Casting directors don’t even know what they want most of the time until you send in that self-tape or walk into the audition room. 

Q: Have you worked with anyone prominent in the film industry?

A: I booked a movie called CHAAW that has some pretty big names in that film, but we haven’t started filming yet due to the pandemic. Once that starts rolling, you might just spot some people that look familiar!

Q: What is your favorite thing about being an actor?

A: That I can just be me. As I developed into this person with all the training, all the days of no sleep, traveling to see the best people who can help me with my career, I’ve learned just always to be me, and that’s what’s significantly helped me progress where I’m at today. I consider myself a product, so I know what I bring to the table as a product. If someone likes my work and who I am as a person, I’m honored, and best believe we will make the greatest movie or commercial possible. If not, I’m thankful for making that connection, and maybe they’d want me for something else in the future that would better suit me. As an actor, you need that “Quiet Confidence” – knowing that you’re giving someone a gift that you have. A possible option. KNOW that your talent is valuable because you’re in this industry to give people something, not get something. I love how this career path has shaped me overall. 

Q: Which actors do you look up to?

A: Another one of my favorite questions. I like to say that Keanu Reeves is an actor I look up to. I’ll be completely honest – action movies aren’t my favorite, and that’s the majority of the films that he’s in, but I really like who he is as a person. Read about the guy – he’s really one of the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. He doesn’t have this cool jacket on, thinking he’s too cool for people, and some days you can even find him on the subway living his best life. That’s goals, and that just shows who he is as a person. He knows who he is at the core, and that’s what I aspire to be – is someone who is original, authentic, and true to who they are. 

In short, Jordan Nancarrow serves as a model and inspiration to upcoming actors. As he continues to make appearances on the big screen, his story seems to write itself. To keep up with Jordan Nancarrow, follow his Instagram @JaynanCarrow.