Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Charles
Jonathan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in a tiny Texas town called Ovilla… like, 800 people and one gas station tiny. The coolest thing? A few episodes of the original Walker, Texas Ranger were filmed there.
As a kid, I read comic books, shot guns, rode horses, and acted out every Star Wars fight scene with my brothers. I did my first stage show at 11, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized a career in entertainment was even possible.
I trained in Shaolin-Do, learned to tap dance, and studied classical voice at a local community college, but it was TV and film that truly pulled me in. Since then, my work has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, MAX, Netflix, Peacock, and in indie films—alongside projects I’ve created myself.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think everyone who moves to LA with dreams of working professionally in the entertainment industry hopes to get lucky and make it big. But the reality is, it takes a lot of work. You have to learn to self-motivate, and the path is rarely linear. It really tests who you are as a person. But it’s also beautiful.
I never could have predicted the person I’d become or the meaningful projects I’d be part of if I hadn’t taken the leap and pursued this crazy, wonderful line of work. My biggest struggle? Allowing myself to put pen to paper and start writing. For so long, I held myself back, letting the doubts of people who had failed shape my perception of what it means to write. I’m incredibly glad I stopped listening to them.
It’s not easy. It’s not fast. But it’s worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an artist, I respond most to work that has heart. Comedy or drama, I want to feel something both when I consume and when I create. With my own projects, the ones I write, direct, or star in, heart comes first.
For example, I’m currently in post-production on a comedy pilot I wrote, directed, and acted in called TRASH. At its core, TRASH is about identity, the struggle to be seen, the desire for validation, and the battle between personal values and financial survival. Stuff we all deal with. Oh, and it also has plenty of shotguns, mullets, and wildly inappropriate life choices. It’s called balance.
My hope is always to entertain and leave you feeling changed. Make ’em laugh and break hearts.
I want to create excellent work with excellent people, and so far, I’ve been lucky enough to do just that.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My early memories are pretty foggy, but I do remember one summer when my sister and I ate about a thousand mangos. That was a good summer.
Image Credits
Koury Angelo Photography
Bao Long Song Photography
