Today we’d like to introduce you to Erinn Jones.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m originally from Atlanta, Ga, but when I was 16 yrs old we moved to Jacksonville, FL to care for my grandmother. I graduated high school, went to college, and joined the workforce as an aspiring pharmacist, but in 2015, I got fired from my job. My younger brother had already moved back to Atlanta and suggested that I come stay with him while I got on my feet. My mom supported the decision and said things to me like, “You know Tyler Perry is up there in Atlanta. You might get ‘discovered’ or something.” At the time, I was more focused on getting a job which I did a week after I moved back. I worked at a call center and found a church home. A few of my church members had some success in the entertainment industry (film and television) and when we would all get together, I would hear about their experiences and it piqued my interest. One day, I overheard one of my church members, who had a small production company at the time, say that he was shooting a short film. I asked if he needed any help and he said that he did and that I could be a production assistant. I had no idea what that was, but I showed up anyway. After being on set for some hours, there was a scene where an SUV was needed. I had one, so the director asked if he could use my car and that I could drive it if I wanted to. I said, yes. Although I hadn’t read the script, I listened to the actors and heard, “Turn left…no, turn right…” so I that’s what I did. Midway through the scene, the director yelled, “Cut”. He told me that it was good that I was listening, but it looked like the car was swerving on camera and the only way the scene would work is if he gave me a line. He told me after the lead actor told me to make a turn, I was supposed to say back to him, “Yes sir”. That was my first line in a movie, my first IMDb credit, and I’ve been pursuing acting ever since. That was in 2016.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing’s smooth about pursuing acting, lol. Even though I had gotten a lot of advice along the way, pursuing a dream that doesn’t pay off right away costs money. Headshots, acting classes, gas for traveling back and forth to acting jobs because you have to wait for a check in the mail. When you’re first starting out, some jobs don’t pay at all. Basically, before you can start getting paid acting jobs it’s a trade, you perform so that you can have footage of your performance, so you can show casting companies for paid projects that you can perform. I’ve had to go through that. Even though I’ve progressed, most of the entertainment business is validation. Once you prove that you’re capable of certain roles and a certain level of professionalism, you get more opportunities. Even with all of these struggles in the area of finances and lack of opportunities in the beginning I still love it. They say, “You’ve found your passion when there’s something you love to do so much, you’d do it for free”. Well, with acting that has definitely been the case for me when I first started. There’s a lot of rejection without explanation that I’ve experienced as well, at the same time I’ve learned more and more to trust God, trust the process, and know that everything comes in seasons.
Erinn The Actress – what should we know?
Erinn The Actress is my brand as an acting artist, however not only have a worked in front of the camera in various projects, I’ve also worked behind the scenes as well. I’ve been an Assistant Director on two independent projects as well as a production manager on a television pilot and an award-winning short film. Under the Erinn the Actress brand, after being inspired by Issa Rae’s journey, I began to write screenplays and won a few awards for a short film script I wrote called, The Test. What sets me apart, I believe, is my ability to multitask and redefine what it means to be an actress. I think a lot of people who want to act focus only on what they should do to be great in front of the camera without realizing why every job on a television/movie set is important. For me, I’m a hands-on learner. In order to understand acting from a writer’s perspective, I write. To a director’s perspective, I direct, so on and so forth. I want to try my hand in everything and I think that ultimately makes me a better all-around artist.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
So far, my proudest moments have been seeing the impact of me following my dreams has had on my friends and family in a positive way. The support I’ve received, the fact that I hear my mom and brother start to talk differently now about entrepreneurship and going after what God has called them to do. That means the world to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://youtu.be/KBVuEjqNIRY
- Email: erinntheactress@hotmail.com
- Instagram: @erinnmjones
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/erinnmjones
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