Meet Jordan Oakley of North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Oakley.

Hi Jordan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hello! Thank you so much for having me. My name is Jordan Oakley, I’m 25 years old, and I’m a queer screenwriter and actor.

Growing up in Houston, Texas, it was fairly obvious to anyone around me that I was a bit odd. I was blunt, loud, and I taught myself how to speak to people by reading books and watching TV. Suffice to say, I didn’t win many friends in kindergarten quoting my dad’s copy of Edgar Allen Poe. But that loneliness taught me something that carried me through life- I love words. I love the way personality can be found in the exact combination of terms and syllables one chooses. Identity can be found in speech. That love brought me straight to film and theater.

Every since then, I’ve always been crafting and consuming stories. I wrote books, put on plays, enrolled in my town’s conservatory high school and went to California Institute of the Arts. I’ve dedicated every moment to the future I plan on achieving. I’m still putting the pieces in place, but there hasn’t been a day where I didn’t want to work harder than I did the day before.

Alright, 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?
It’s certainly never been smooth. I won’t deny that, overall, I’m very lucky that I have the support and belief of my family, but entering this industry is difficult to do from the outside. I came to LA with no connections, no trust fund, just stubbornness and a bone deep desire to make something of myself.

Over and over, I’ve been told I’m “unconventional.” When I was younger, I thought that just meant unwanted. The way I speak, the way I look, the way I perform and write, all met with interest but stopped because none of it was easy. I’m given particularly sour looks when I audition for male roles. I’m nonbinary, but I know what I look like, how the world sees me for now. It’s hard to hear these things on a daily basis and not internalize it. But I firmly believe that being unique, being someone cuts through the noise will be to my advantage in the end. I might keep hitting the mat, but I’ve never been good at staying down.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m primarily an actor and writer. Screenwriting in particular. I’ve actually been described as the Encyclopedia of TV Trivia. I’d probably be best known for my award winning feature script Only Sunshine or my stint as Turtle, a six year old dead boy, in the play Sunken by Skylar Shen. Though, I plan to be more widely known for more as I grow in my career.

When I perform or craft stories, I find a sense of joy in the unsettling, the ugly, the unlikeable. Finding ways to make an audience cling to and understand characters that do atrocious things is such a fun thing to puzzle out. Especially when it comes to queer representation, I have no interest in making a palatable, after-school-special caricature of a queer person. There are enough stories about queerness watered down to make straight people comfortable. I don’t feel the need to add to that pile. That’s what makes a character real, the sense that they are flawed and unpredictable, right and wrong in equal measure. So what if I’m not an ingénue? I’m gonna be the character that haunts you. Or, I’ll write them. Either way works for me.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
My family deserves most of the credit for where I am. I’ve never doubted that they supported me, and they never sugarcoated how hard it was going to be to pursue art. They instilled a strong work ethic early and challenged me to be as clever and creative as possible. My parents knew me, loved me, and never let me give up on myself. I was believed in, and that’s invaluable.

An amazing mentor of mine is Jane Pickett. A director, writer, and professor, I met her when I bullied my way into her MFA writing class as a first year BFA. I’ve worked with her ever since. She was one of the first people I actually believed when she told me my writing was worth pursuing. She pushed me further into the writing world and, hence, changed my career.

Skylar Shen, one of my dearest friends and an amazing artist in her own right, is always in my corner. We kick each other in the ass to keep the other going. I fully expect to attend the Oscars with her in the future.

The teacher that made art so integral to my life is Voahangy Grenier. When I was very young, my mother had cancer. Madame Voahangy took me under her wing when she noticed me acting out and would give me painting assignments each week. It kept me calm, kept me going. I never stopped using art to keep myself afloat.

Also, a special shoutout to my therapist. She will remain unnamed for obvious reasons.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jordanoakley.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordan.oaktree/?hl=en

Image Credits
Skylar Shen