Today we’d like to introduce you to JOCELYN JONES.
Hi JOCELYN, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My father was an actor, my mother a photographer, and my step-father a writer. I grew up in Snedens Landing, one of the many artists’ colonies scattered along the Hudson River Valley. Because its close proximity to Manhattan, an abundance of world-class artists have always made the place their home. Calm, country living grounds these luminaries, adding a sane contrast to the challenges of their chaotic celebrity existence in the limelight.
I remember these legends of the Landing gathered around our dining table, talking about their process and relationship with art. The painters, my favorite, were in a class of their own. They were different from the performing artists. They seemed anti-glamour, anti-fashion, and anti-establishment. Unlike performing artists, they weren’t tasked with creating art before your very eyes. Instead, at least in the ’60s and ’70s, they seemed transfixed on elevating the ordinary—something I became deeply interested in and that cropped up in my teaching later in life. To observe the miracle of the mundane and to be able to recreate it—is to create life out of thin air for an actor.
I was a lonely child. My parent’s style of child rearing was “We put you on the planet, now go.” There was no cuddling, no real interest in schoolwork or accomplishments. I remember a lot of demand for “grow-up time!” But I had a roof over my head, my own room, and three meals a day. I had nature to play in, a fine imagination and art and artists everywhere.
My best friends were my internal guides and the trees. We lived along the Palisades, a 200-million-year-old rock column towering as high as 500 feet over the Hudson River. Rock, river, forest, streams—these were my intimate playmates.
My first direct encounter with my own internal guidance came when I was in the third grade. The day before my eighth birthday, I was walking to my new school feeling profoundly sorry for myself. I just don’t understand why they don’t see me, I thought. I came into this world with gifts to share. I came to offer my heart. I have messages. I came to help! It never occurred to me that my parents couldn’t see that in me. It never occurred to me that I couldn’t awaken joy in them by my mere presence. I was pretty sure my purpose in life was to bring joy, and I felt sad that I was failing in my mission.
Well, Jocie, we’re here, and we might just have to be enough, came the answer, clear as a bell.
It’s not like I hear the individual words. It’s more like the whole concept arrives. In this case, it was pretty matter of fact—kind of like, We’re here. You’re blessed. Get over it. It came from somewhere inside me—or outside—sometimes it feels like both. I’d always had an easy, ongoing communication with this extra-dimensional world. I was grateful for the support, truly, but I longed for some kind of three-dimensional companion to help me weather this physical universe illusion I’d woken up in once again.
It’s not like I picture angels flying about, or spirit guides, or entities of any kind (although my whole life, people who see that sort of thing have told me I travel with quite a crowd.) And it isn’t like I hear actual voices. It’s more like I feel surrounded by an invisible tribe who simply walk with me, protect me, and advise me in a gentle sort of way. Their presence feels as natural to me as breathing, and I have “walked” with them for as long as I can remember.
Because they seemed such an integral part of me, it took a while for me to understand that I could actually “work” with them on different levels. The first conscious conversation, if you can call it that, came about because I asked a direct question. Playing along the riverbank one day, skipping stones, feeling alone and alienated from pretty much everyone, I wondered, “Who is there to trust?”
The wind kicked up and blew the branches of a weeping willow my way. She reached out her long, thin tendrils and touched my neck. “Us,” was the answer. It came in one whole hunk of a concept. I instantly understood that if I wanted to interact with my invisible crew in this third dimension, all I had to do was look to the trees. Well, all of nature really—as nature is the physical expression of spirit, but I didn’t know that at the time. I just got trees.
It made sense to me because some of the trees I greeted every day felt more like family to me than my own. Certain trees brought me tremendous solace in those young, tender years. In many ways, it felt like they had raised me— they had certainly tended to my spirit.
After a turbulent adolescence, and getting thrown out of more schools than I care to remember, I dropped out of high school and bounced around the 2nd Ave pub scene, waitressing—I was a 1st class waitress! I was only 17 at the time but no one seemed to care in the New York City of the 60’s. During that time, I was discovered by Eileen Ford, founder of the most prestigious modeling agency of that time. She sent me out to have “test shots” taken. In this symbiotic relationship, photographers get free models to test their lighting and lenses, often before a big shoot, and the models gets free pictures.
After viewing the photographs, Eileen said “Jocelyn, darling—sad, too sad! These pictures look like they lined your whole family up against the wall and shot them! No one calls me up and asks to hire the sad girl! You have to do better, dear.”
She was right, I felt like the camera had captured my deepest secret. I was sad, I felt sad and lonely. But she was the first person to see something in me, so when she gave me a second chance, I was determined to honor her faith in me. I created another girl to be in front of the camera. A girl who was confident, proud and happy to be given an opportunity. I just assumed this position. The pictures came in—“Oh! you’re an actor,” Eileen spotted. I booked the first job she sent me on—playing a heroin addict—perfect for the sad girl. People just need to be seen.
During my years as an actress, I studied with the best teachers of the time, Sanford Meisner in NY, Lee Strasberg in LA but it wasn’t until I studied with Milton Katselas that I discovered and fell in love with the technique of acting. Within three years, I was teaching for him. I have been teaching actors ever since—for over 30+ years now. I’ve worked with people who have never set foot on stage before, and I’ve worked with gigantic movies stars with equally giant NDA’s.
I feel blessed to have found a profession where I create a safe space in the theatre for art to live. Where I can see the best in an artist and encourage them to listen to and follow their heart. As I had learned in my childhood; there is a powerful guidance right there— waiting for you to still yourself and listen.
I took a break from teaching in 2017 due to a death in the family. Just before the pandemic hit, in 2019, I produced a one-of-a-kind, 16-episode documentary called In Class with Jocelyn Jones: A Celebration of Actors & Acting. My husband, a TV director of many years, directed it, filming an 8-week seminar I taught with three cameras. With over 100 hours of film on our hands, we suddenly understood why no one has ever done this before—it took three years to edit. It was a labor of love to be sure, and I am glad we have an archive of our work. David P. Kirkpatrick, former President of Paramount Pictures, endorsed the series saying; “If you ever wondered what goes on in a first-rate, professional acting class—watch this series.” It’s available on our website.
The following year, I wrote a book called Artist: Awakening the Spirit Within. It is a memoir/self help book based on my belief that there is an artist in everyone and your first work of art, is your LIFE—the one you came here to live! Just like actors create imaginary lives, I believe there is an artist in everyone just waiting to be seen and encouraged to write (and live) the story of their own life. Utilizing the same techniques, I use with actors,, the book is about creating your life—in real time—as your personal masterpiece. A life in coherence with your own heart. I am grateful and honored to say the book became a best-seller, has won 18 International awards, and has received reviews such as: “Life changing!” “Masterpiece!” and “A roadmap of how to become a brilliant human being!” Having been told by my first editor that a hybrid memoir/self-help book would never work, and that I should turn the manuscript into two books—I am proud that I moved on from him and found another editor who believed in the book. Who could see it.
This last January, I returned to teaching for the first time since before the pandemic. It was only a 10-week intensive, but it was divine! The class sold out 48 hours after I announced it—which was a full 4 months prior to the first class. My idea was to create a counterpoint to the horrid political landscape we find ourselves in. A light in the darkness. A safe and hopeful harbor—a place where inspiration could live. I could only take 30 students and so it hurt me to turn people away—but I realised what a tremendous demand there was for art, for community, for LIFE! I couldn’t believe the beauty of the group we pulled together and what we accomplished in 10 weeks. Every artist responded by raising the bar on their work—week after week—they reached braver, deeper and more inspired heights. We were all sad when the 10 weeks was over.
Realizing the need to continue, I am thrilled to have found a way to have Ongoing Classes again! By partnering with John Griffin—“Griff” (see my website for his wonderful qualifications.)
I spend a lot of time in New York, where I am originally from and where my daughter, son-in-law, and grandbabies live. We keep a studio in the city and over the years I’ve become fairly bicoastal. Because of this, I have been unable to go back to teaching ongoing classes. These are the classes where over the course of years and years, I have taken a student from their first steps on stage to starring in their own series. Where I have taken a student from starring in their own series to being offer the lead role in a Broadway hit. I have students who have studied with me on and off in my ongoing classes for over 25 years.
By finding a partner and alternating the schedule —12 weeks on, and 12 weeks off—the group can stay together as a cohesive whole, while I can be bicoastal, and continue guiding them at the same time.
This June we are launching two new Ongoing Classes. They are already filling at record speed with an extraordinary group of committed industry professionals. We have mostly actors, but also directors, writers, producers even an award-winning editor. It’s all the same process. Storytelling is the desire and ability to create life.
In these historically divisive and challenging times, art and artists have never been more important. They raise the vibration of the planet. Drawing together and honoring a group of like-minded souls to create together—well that is the exact contribution I have wanted to create all these many years.
Art always wins!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think people thrive when they are seen. I struggled with self esteem because I felt ignored as a child. I struggled with school because the intention of most educators has little to do with seeing their students. I find it interesting that I ended up dedicated to education and that a cornerstone to my teaching is seeing and hearing the person before me.
I am also dedicated to helping people find a relationship to their own inner guidance. When we live in coherence with own own heart—we can ask and receive guidance from from our highest self. When we grow to trust that relationship, the road smooths out and things become easier and more fun! We have certainty that we are on the right path. We experience synchronicity as an acknowledgement that we are moving in the right direction. This is what is meant by ‘A path with heart.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an acting teacher first and foremost, I specializes in seeing the individual in front of me and what they need as an individual to grow and to thrive. I want students to master the techniques so they can use those tools with confidence on any job. I am known for guiding actors to their own unique contribution through casting. For insisting on a positive attitude. And for giving students the administrative tools to take control of their own careers.
There is a large demand, we can’t accept everyone who applies to our classes. I interview every student personally and what I’m most interested in is: Artists who have a deep desire to contribute, who are committed to working hard and understand the importance of perseverance—and maybe most importantly—have bright and cheery attitudes with a positive outlook. These qualifications are not only teachable, they are hireable!
I am also a writer, speaker and creative consultant. As a Creative Consultant, I work privately with artists who have established careers on everything from script breakdown, acting choices, and rewrites to career guidance and life coaching.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Thank you for inviting me to share my story with you, I am grateful and honored. And thank you for your mission to shine a light on the soul of LA. I love your magazine!
Pricing:
- ONGOING CLASS $240.00 per month
- BOOK: Around $18.00 on Amazon
- SERIES: $249.99 on Website
Contact Info:
- Website: https://JocelynJonesStudio.com
- Instagram: @JocelynJonesStudio
- Facebook: Jocelyn Jones Acting Studio
- Youtube: @JocelynJonesStudio
Image Credits
HEAD SHOT BY DANA PATRICK
