Jaylen Barron
Have you guys seen the season finale of BLINDSPOTTING starring the beautiful and fiery Jaylen Barron? The finale just came out last night and oh boy!!! Showcasing her true talents, there is no doubt that Jaylen is making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Very passionate about everything from work to personal growth to the world, here at TILTED we loved getting to know the actress a little more and we hope you will too! Keep reading on and make sure to check out her work…
On FRIENDSHIP
Friendships are a beautiful gift you should always tend to. I always see my friends as a garden: they require watering, pulling weeds, and spending time in the garden. I tend to those friendships so they can grow and flourish. When I’m in need of a laugh, words of encouragement, or even to be told the truth, I know I have that support system around me.
On FAMILY
Family is the household in which you feel safest. Within this home, you have those you can turn to during a difficult time when you are in need of assistance and love. Cherish those you feel are family because, without them, you have no foundation. Without a foundation, how do you build more?
On FAITH
The first step in having faith is finding hope. In order to get through trying times, you must think of the possibility that everything will turn out for your benefit…that turns into faith. Faith is having the feeling that no matter what, everything will be okay.
On GENDER EQUALITY
It is crazy to me that this is still a debate. Women deserve the same recognition as their male counterparts. We deserve to have the same opportunities, respect, and wage regardless of job title.
On SOCIAL MEDIA
The power of social media is real. It has helped businesses grow, allowed some people to meet the love of their life, and even helped spread the truth. But with every up there is a down, and I think it is important we all remember that what we see on social media isn’t always real. Just because it is posted and gets a lot of likes doesn’t mean it is fact. I feel like that’s where a lot of people get carried away, we have to stop comparing our life to those we don’t know in order to be truly happy.
On CLIMATE CHANGE
The earth speaks volumes. She tells us what we need to do differently, and lets us know it is timely. This is the only planet we have, the only place we can be, and as functioning humans we must tend to her. That way future generations can enjoy the climate we post about when it’s a beautiful day outside. You cannot deny the laws of science. We need to make a change before this damage is irreversible.
On IMPORTANCE OF POLITICS
Politics are necessary for every functioning community. Although opinions may differ, it is our job to come to an understanding for the best possible outcome.
On TECHNOLOGY
The advancement of technology is amazing…jaw dropping almost. However, I do always wonder when will enough be enough? Medically I feel as though there shouldn’t be a ceiling, but when it comes to human enjoyment…where do we stop? It’s a scary thought for me.
On IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL STYLE
Personal style is everything. Dress for how you are feeling, even if it’s not the same as yesterday. That’s why it is personal, it’s really nobody’s business. I love seeing artistic styles being expressed, there isn’t anything more inspiring than seeing someone own and love who they are enough to show it to the world.
On CULTURAL DIVERSITY
As humans, we have a desire to explore and a need for knowledge. How beautiful is it that we are living in a world where we have so much information at our fingertips. We can so easily do research on someone’s culture and educate ourselves on it to come to a better understanding of who they are. Working alongside people who are different than you is a privilege and an opportunity to learn about something or somebody new. Who knows, you might find out something new about yourself in the process.
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Why were you originally drawn to the series BLINDSPOTTING? How did you prep for your audition?
Honestly, I didn’t actually know what Blindspotting was until I auditioned. They requested that we watch the film for the callback, and that’s when I knew I HAD to be a part of this project. It felt bigger than me, and on the creative spectrum it hit all of the right notes. The message that the movie conveyed spoke volumes to me, and with the series being a spinoff of that, I knew I had to be in it. It felt right. To prepare for the audition, I looked up different interviews of people from the Bay. I was really trying to pick up their mannerisms, slang, pitch, and really anything I could find to try to make my character as authentic as possible.
Share with us a moment on set that had a strong impact on you. Why was it so memorable?
My moment happened on the set of Blindspotting at about 3:00 am after we had been filming all day. I was exhausted, hungry, and a little irritable, but of course I was hiding it and putting on a professional demeanor. I have a difficult time hiding my emotions on my face, it seems like no matter how hard I try, you can always see how I’m feeling. Of course, I’m sitting with a stank face minding my business. Helen Hunt walks in to do her scene she looks extremely ready, neutral, and calm. I was thinking to myself, “how are you not looking exhausted?” She looked great! In that moment it clicked…she’s a professional. This isn’t a time to feel tired, we are all tired, and I’m not special. We are here to work and make a beautiful television series so people across the world can feel seen. In that moment I knew that I had to learn to be unfazed by any circumstance that comes my way, I’m here to do a job, and that’s what I did.
With each project you have been in, what are some important lessons you have learned?
I’ve learned that patience is everything in this industry, and no matter what direction you go in, the path that God is leading you in is always going to work out for you. Of course it can be difficult to keep that mindset when your heart is broken over not booking a job you “thought” you really wanted, or the role you booked didn’t bring the outcome you thought it would. In actuality, all of those “no’s” and “maybes” turned out to be some of the biggest blessing I’ve had. I look back at my career and I think “wow I am so grateful to have all of those memorable difficult moments because it has prepared me to be the woman I am today.” I have so much more work to do, but the paths I have been given seem to have worked out so effortlessly and have pushed me into another blessing. I’ve met different people because of those “no’s”, and that has led me to even better jobs that seem to fit me more. I love the way I’m able to look at life now because there are nothing but blessings being given to us, even if those disguised blessings might hurt you in that moment. It took me years to figure this out with each job that I’ve booked or not booked, but I know for a fact if I hadn’t have gone through those difficult times in my early jobs, I wouldn’t know what to look for and ask for now. So I love them all.
Growing up, what was your childhood like?
My childhood was really normal. I have a huge family, and we are from La Puente California, so we grew up differently than most people. My family has always kept it real with me, I wasn’t treated special or different just because of what I do. They’ve kept me grounded my entire life, and I’m thankful for that. They are some of the meanest people I know, but also extremely loving at the same time. I’m really grateful for that because if I receive hate I have great comebacks, and nothing really hurts my feelings. I love them and I can’t wait to give them everything.
Who is someone who has been a strong role model in your life? Tell us more about them.
My Muva! My mother has been a big role model in my life! She works hard day and night to keep our home running. She has supported me throughout my entire career, taken me to every audition, stayed with me on set then drove home, and I really wouldn’t be where I am today without her. She is so good at decorating and doing research as well, whenever we are wrapping for any job that I’m working on she always puts together these really beautiful goody baskets…she is so talented like that. I always go to her whenever I want to decorate my room or need help with a craft, I kind of always let her take over because I know she will do a better job than me. I hope one day I can be as good of a mother as she is, and make everything feel a little more like home.
If you could be anyone for a day, who would you pick and why?
I wouldn’t be anyone for a day, that doesn’t sound fun at all. Everybody has trauma and struggles, and I don’t want to deal with anybody else’s demons. But I would love to see what a day is like in my future 35 year-old life…that sounds fun. Like “oh girl you got the house in the Hills instead of the house on Melrose, why did you make that choice?” I would just love to talk to my future self, I would ask her a million questions about what life has been like and if there is any advice she can give me. I feel like I’m going to be a really cool rich auntie that is always on vacation and eating at fabulous places.
Where do you hope your career will take you?
I hope my career takes me to a place where people look up my name and become inspired. I want to live truthfully and work hard so that people can come to me when they are in a place of need. I am going to reach millions of people across the world with my craft and words. I love helping people, so if playing a “sex worker” is making people feel seen and understood, and this is the stepping stone to that path…I’m excited. I want to be the cool big sister to everyone, and I want to wear so many different hats in my career. I want to be able to run a show and star in it. Speaking life into the things you love, and into people you love, holds an immense amount of power. People have spoken life into me, and the only way I can return the blessing is to do that for others. I believe that is what I’m here for and in order to do that, people are going to watch my performances on screen. I can’t wait.
@tilted.style
Photographer Heather Koepp Photography @heather.rival
Stylist Erica Mer @ericas_style
Makeup Galaxy San Juan @makeupbygalaxy
Interview Alexandra Bonnet @alexbonnetwrites