Rising Stars: Meet Jessica Woehler of Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Woehler.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Oh goodness, my story? As an actor, my acting story started in 2003 when eleven year old me sat in a movie theatre watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. I vividly remember being enthralled (well, still am fully enthralled with that film lets be honest) as I watched the movie thinking “that looks like fun and I think I can do it”. Now mind you, this was the same eleven year old girl who was too shy to answer the phone when her own grandparents called, but something in me knew that I could do that, knew that I was supposed to do that, that telling stories was the God given desire of my heart. So I begged my parents to sign me up for an acting class at the local theatre, and well, I suppose the rest is history. That shy, introverted girl well in love with the art form of theatre, fully enamored with the practice of becoming someone else and exploring life through their eyes. I went on to be heavily involved in my high school drama department, majored in theatre in college, performed abroad in Germany, got my first professional theatre job at Davis Shakespeare Festival, and eventually moved back to Los Angeles to pursue the childhood dream birthed from Pirates of the Caribbean: performing for Disney.

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?
Goodness, no. But truly, I wouldn’t trust someone who says the road has been smooth. We don’t become the storytellers we are, the humans we are, without some bumps along the way. I believe that our true selves are forged in the seasons we would rather avoid, the pain we beg to have taken away. I love the saying that the same water that hardens the egg softens the potato. We’ll all walk though difficult seasons in life, and I believe that how we respond to that is essential in discovering who we are and what we’re made out of. Because of that, because of the hardships I’ve faced both personally and professionally, they are what have shaped me into the actor I am today. My depth of empathy for the characters I play, the quick wit needed for humor, the less than obvious choices I’m able to make, all stem from what God has led me through. There are many things that I can look back on and say that, while I would never choose to walk that path again, I’m glad I walked it once because I can see, through the Lords faithfulness, that it was used for my good and helped shape me closer to the person that God created me to be. And as actors, we have the unique gift of doing that for the characters we play. We are given the “God view” by getting to read the whole script, know what all the other characters do and say, and see the final outcome before our character ever says their first line on opening night. We get to step into that character and say hey, no matter how this ends, I’m seeing you through it. Comedy or tragedy, you and I are in this till the end. And I see that as something really. beautiful

Anyways, enough of my thoughts on acting and struggle, back to me personally. There have absolutely been struggles. And most of them are ones that happen between my own two ears. This is a tough industry to be in, and a lot of it is built on what you look like and what others think of you, so I am constantly returning the the Lord to make sure I am finding my identity in Him and who He says I am because my goodness, the other voices are loud and often cruel. As you can probably tell, my faith is very important to me and is absolutely my lifeline in this wild industry. And we all need a lifeline, actor or otherwise, to counteract our own self doubt and what others tell us. As an actor, I can not get a job for a plethora of reasons, often reasons outside of my control and often for reasons I’ll never know, so its easy to stop and start to pick myself apart and thats when I remind myself to take a step back and keep my eyes fixed on the one who planted this dream in my heart in the first place, knowing He is with me every step of the way and trusting He is opening the right doors at the right time, and that every door that stays shut is staying shut for a reason, even if its a door I really wanted to open. Because again, the Lord has the “God view” of my life, and I know He will get me through this story He has written for me.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My heart is so wildly grateful to be able to say that I am an actor, and that that little kid dream of performing for Disney has come true in ways I never dreamed possible. Back in 2018, I hired in at The Disneyland Resort as an entertainment host. Shortly thereafter, I was fortunate enough to be a part of the opening cast of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Getting to be but a small part in bringing that incredible land to life was, well, incredible. Though the most exciting part was getting be a part of the small team that debuted R2D2 in the land. That special blue droid was the dream I didn’t even knew I had, and I will forever be grateful that my leaders at the time saw something in me I wasn’t even yet aware of, and that was a gift for immersive storytelling. I would spend the next 6 years growing my improv skills, immersive storytelling skills, and while I knew I was becoming highly skilled in these areas of performing, I couldn’t see where this was taking me as far as acting was concerned. I kept auditioning for other opportunities with Disney but no other doors ever opened. I had several roles outside of Disney, being a company member of a theatre in Hollywood, but the Disney goals kept eluding me. I started to think that maybe being an entertainment host was where my Disney career would end, and I would close that chapter being grateful for what it gave me but ready to move on to opportunities elsewhere. I started asking the Lord to help me close the door to Disney if this dream wasn’t from Him. And then, in a way that only God can do, the most incredible door with Disney OPENED. After a whirlwind audition process, I was given the dream come true opportunity to not only perform for Disney, but to originate a new a Disney character written specifically for Disney Cruise Line’s new ship, the Disney Destiny.

Opening a new cruise ship is no small thing, and while there were moments when it was really difficult, the overall experience was nothing short of amazing. Working along side some of the top Walt Disney Imagineers and creatives at Disney Live Entertainment was one of the most incredible learning opportunities. As we all dove deeper into these new characters and the shows they would be a part of, it became wildly clear to me why the Lord had me in the season of working with R2D2 for as long as He did. I could see that my time improvising and storytelling with that droid equipped me with the skills I would need to bring this new character to life. The Lord truly wastes nothing. And He does give infinitely more than we could ask for or imagine. The little girl inside of me who dreamed of performing for Disney would have never even dreamed that one day she would be the face of a new Disney character. I say all that to say, don’t ever stop dreaming. Don’t let anyone tell you your dreams are wrong, or not realistic, or unattainable. God doesn’t make mistakes. He gave that dream to you specifically for a reason. Even if it takes a while to understand or see come to fruition. Don’t give up. Keep after it. Risk, fail, and then risk again.

What were you like growing up?
I was the kid who took playing pretend VERY seriously. I could so clearly and vividly see the imaginary worlds around me. Though I think my biggest strength as a imaginative kid, is that I didn’t care what others thought of me. I did what made me happy without thinking about what others might think. For example, the theme of the homecoming dance during my freshman year of high school was “A Night on Broadway” and we could either come in formal attire or as our favorite broadway character. So obviously I show up to this dance as Elphaba from Wicked. Fully green and everything. And not a single other student was in costume. But I marched into that auditorium and had a great night! I dont know if I would have the same gumption to do that now 20 years later, though I like the believe that I would.

Nowadays, when I’m not performing, I can usually be found at a book store, a coffee shop, or a thrift store. I’m an old soul who loves the simple joys in life like a good latte, treasure hunting through antique stores, or listening to my vintage records play. As a surprise to no one, I also love spending time at Disneyland and soaking up all the nostalgic magic that fills that place. All in all, I continue to embrace what make me, me. It is, after all, exactly who I’m supposed to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jessicawoehler.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_woehler/

Image Credits
Mariposa Pictures (for the two portrait style photos)