Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Walker.
Hi Jordan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in what many know to be “Motown” (or “The Motor City”); Detroit, Michigan. As a youth, I was inspired by my father, who was not only an All-conference college (University of Tennessee at Martin), turned pro(USFL/AFL) football player, but after I was born, he became the first African-American Police officer in a high-class city near Detroit that hadn’t seen much diversity. My father grew up in a rough area of Detroit, Michigan which is part of the reason why he wanted to help the cities youth. If Bernie Mack could’ve played in Beverly Hills cop, that’d be my dad …although being so close to one of the roughest areas in Detroit, it was far from Beverly Hills. His mission was always to help all people and be a mentor. He was a father to those youth without fathers in there lives. He was determined to bring change instead of just giving out petty traffic tickets. The kind of officer kids would dream of becoming before they were let down by what they heard on the news. After work, my father would coach my sister and I in various sports. A super-Hero.My father also worked security for the Detroit Pistons, the Legendary singing group Enchantment, and many more singing groups and R&B artists. We would travel on the road together on tour. I always saw him as a Super-Hero.
I was inspired by my mother, Who is the most amazing person on the face of this earth or any other planet we know of. you’d love her. Her strength, her hard work, her passion, her laughter, her smile, her prayer has kept the family together. My mother is also a Registered Nurse! She worked hard to earn that title. she proved 24 hours to be enough to pray for the world, our family, go to work for twelve-plus hours, wash cloths, help with homework, cook three-course dinners, WATCH MOVIES! and study Anatomy and Physiology. I always saw her as a Super Hero as well. She took time to “Cultivate” my sisters, father, and I. We were always doing something fun. We would ride bikes together, get ice cream, go to one of her most favorite places, the library, and travel to her hometown of Salem, Ohio to see my amazing Grandma, Aunts, Uncles, and what at the time seemed to be tons of cousins. The movies we watched together as a child are what helped cultivate me as an Actor.
I am also inspired greatly by both of my grandmothers, and my grandpa on my father’s side who was a highly educated man during a time that wasn’t so accepting to change, my step-grandpa on my father’s side, a World War II Navy Vet and owner of three black Newspaper Companies, and my grandpa on my mother’s side who was a veteran of Vietnam, and a heavenly guiding light.
Those people are some of my many inspirations. As I journeyed through life, I always found people’s lives to be quite interesting. As a child, I wanted at least for a few minutes, to live the lives of just about every human being id come across… I’d see a whole story of possibilities. Potential.
As a youth, I struggled with school for a short period of time. I struggled with “fitting in”. My parents had decent jobs at the time, but they didn’t believe in “spoiling” a child. After birthdays, and Christmas, I would show up to school with my coolest outfits I had received as gifts for the first four days, and after that it was back to cloths I had worn for a year and a half. Other kids would get a pair of Jordans every two weeks! That’s growing up in Detroit for you. A fashion show. where parents dressed like celebrities.
I recall fourth grade standing up to a bully that was part of the “popular crew”. I finally had my chance one day out in the woods at recess. We played a game called “60 seconds”. I gave it my all and that victory to me at the time meant everything. I had built up enough frustration from being bullied and not fitting in. I had had enough nights of standing in the mirror and coming up with the most Heroic lines of what I would say the next day all to not be said when the next day arrived. I was so fueled after the 60-second bout I yelled “Who’s next!”… and After that, my grades got a lot better.
In high school, I was heavily involved in sports, but I did take a theatre class once. Whenever I stepped foot inside this class, it was magical. It was like walking into the closet-like portal to Narnia. Everything was possible. We went on filled trips to the Fox Theatre to see Rumpelstiltskin and my favorite “Wizard of Oz”. I always got the feeling that I wanted to be a part of that world. Telling people’s stories. Acknowledging the breath of a human being. Through trials and tribulations. We overcome them. That’s beautiful. The fact that we made it here to earth. against tremendous odds… That we wanted to experience a journey of ups and downs in an effort to find the ultimate level of appreciation.. the ultimate level of Love, of sacrifice…we desired that experience and manifested it. That’s astonishing.
After College, I had the pleasure of working for one of the greatest corporate companies in the United States of America. A top 100 company. I was a Quality Assurance Auditor for Nationwide Insurance. My Aunt helped me get this job. She had been with the company for over 30 years and was highly respected. I would walk around conducting audits as co-workers would say “whatsup Hollywood?!”.The name came after I became known around the job for a film I led in at the time. I didn’t want it to become a huge deal, but it did seem to lift their spirits by just discussing the process of preparing for a role, developing a character, and being on “set”. They Called me Hollywood, but at the time, I was thinking more “ATL” (Laughs). Hollywood just seemed so far.. so much unknown…
While I was a Nationwide Insurance, I met a man named David. Dave was originally from Ohio, moved down to Fayetteville, GA for a job, then off of a new job offer, moved back to Columbus, Ohio. Dave proved to be one of the greatest human beings id ever meet. One day when discussing film, I told Dave that I had set a date, and I would be “Taking a leap of faith” and moving down to Atlanta Georgia for film. I was going to leave my great job at Nationwide Insurance. That’s when Dave told me his story. He told me that he still had a house in Georgia just outside of Atlanta and that I could stay there. The odds of that happening? Slim to none, wow.
While living in Atlanta, I got a job with a company that was partially owned by Delta Airlines. This enabled me to see my family, fly my mother and father whenever they wanted to go, and even book work with Google which landed me in Monks Corner, South Carolina, a place that I had only heard of because it was where one of my favorite radio hosts (Charlemagne the God) was from. During this time, I also booked my second leading role! I was a superhero named “ICON” in a DC fan-film by the one and only David Kirkman of St.Louis. I used my flight benefits from my job to cover the trip.ICON was the start of an amazing friendship/family of creatives, and wonderful projects I was fortunate to help bring to life. Be on the lookout for UNDERNEATH: Children of the SUN by David Kirkman! The first of a few…
I attended Acting class at a few places throughout Atlanta; one being “The Booking room” where I worked with my friend and Co-founder Jarrett Collins, and was introduced to my now friend and also Co-founder of “The booking room” Patrick Walker.
I recall laying in my bed one night in Fayetteville, GA, and getting a rush of electricity that flowed through my body. A feeling that only I had found when something great would occur. I shortly after, sold my limited edition Dodge Charger Daytona known as BIG RED, packed up everything I had.. and moved to Los Angeles.
When I arrived at Burbank, I knew no one. I remember sitting in a hotel room in Glendale sick to my stomach thinking “Okay God, I’m here…now what?” I used some of the money I had saved from my 401k at Nationwide Insurance to rent a corolla for over a month, stay in very unique-looking Hollywood hotel rooms for over a month, and pay for first and last month’s rent at a San Fernando Valley home shared with a Sri-Lankan family of four and a man who I later found was a great writer and director off of craigslist. They were such a peaceful, kind, hard-working, loving family such a peaceful space to live in.
I became a ramp supervisor at an airport in Burbank and moved out of the shared house into one of my own. I have been beyond blessed to continue to book film projects. I have booked everything up to this point, unsigned without a talent agent or manager. I recently put together an actor’s Reel and posted to YouTube. It got 2k views in three days and caused many emails from Talent agencies to come pouring in. I am Extremely grateful.
If you are still working a 9-5 and acting or singing, and trading stocks…just know that you can make it all happen. Whatever you desire; with hard work and faith. Believe in yourself.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a ramp Supervisor at an Airport in Burbank, CA. I am proud that I get to inspire those with 9-5 to push forward in making their vision a reality. We are all on a journey…writing a story to a book found exclusively in the greatest most vast library you could ever imagine.
What sets me apart from others is I am always doing research. I research any, and everything. I love information. I love learning.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I collect crystals, and meditate using binaural beats. I love books because I look at them as access to an unlimited group of mentors. I study Nikola Tesla and read books by Napoleon Hill, Stanislavski, James Allen, and Paulo Coelho just to name a few. I love visiting Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, CA. Everyone from Michael Jackson, Walt Disney, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., and Humphrey Bogart, to name just a few are honored there. It’s a very peaceful place. I like to grab lunch and sit in the grass somewhere over there. Near the greats.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Jordancharleswalker
- Youtube: @JordanCharlesWalker
Image Credits
Jeremy Cowart David Kirkman
