We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jay Linzy. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Jay, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
What I’m being called to do now is to live life to its fullest, without letting the fast pace or negativity around me steal that from me. For a long time, I was afraid of slowing down enough to appreciate the journey, because I thought I had to constantly measure myself against where other people are in life. Now, I’m realizing it’s not about comparison — it’s about momentum.
I want to keep moving forward with purpose, so that one day things slow down in a way where I can truly see and enjoy the life I’ve built. Along this journey, I want to be an example of what it looks like to take that big risk — to believe in yourself enough to see it through. Because life really can get that much better if we’re willing to focus, willing to have discipline, and willing to be present in every moment. To me, that also means pursuing work that doesn’t just feel like work, but something I’m genuinely excited to wake up and do each day. That’s the shift I’m embracing now, and I’m planning to lean into it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jay Linzy. The son of a Doctor and Cop lol. I was born in Chicago, raised in Las Vegas, and now I’m living out my dream in Los Angeles as an actor. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to work on shows like Lucifer, Criminal Minds, and Call Me Kat, but what makes my story unique isn’t just the credits—it’s the path it took to get here. For a long time, I let the opinions of others, including friends and family, hold me back from chasing this dream. I thought it was safer to stay small than to risk failure or judgment. But acting became the place where I finally chose myself.
Growing up, I learned resilience through challenges, and even discovered comedy as a way to transform negativity into something powerful. Those experiences gave me a thicker skin, but they also taught me how to bring presence and authenticity into every role. What I want people to take from my journey is that life opens up when you’re willing to risk, to focus, to stay disciplined, and to believe in yourself. That’s what drives me—not just as an actor, but as a person—and it’s what I hope comes across in everything I do.”
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
This part of my life often comes as a shock to people but I spent 9+ years as Krump Dancer while living in Las Vegas. I started around the age of 18. I saw the movie Rize in theaters one day and I was hooked ever since.
The message behind the dance, how it kept a lot of inner city kids from making violent choices and living troubling lifestyles. It just spoke to me and inspired me to try it for myself. I ended up connecting with some dancers in the city and learning the dance to the point where I got really good at it.
I became one of the top dancers in Las Vegas and danced with Legends in the dance such as Crush aka Jr Mijo and trailblazers like Alonte Gray aka Walaow. I was chubby growing up and because of this a lot of people didn’t expect me to be as good as I was. I made a name for myself in the dance and that took a lot of hard work. It was one of funnest parts of my life and if it wasn’t for Krump I would never be an actor today. I would have never done it because I was always afraid to make a fool of myself as a kid.
As a Krump Dancer some people used to think we were having seizures lol.
But yes I owe a lot to the dance. It was the first time in my life where I got really good at something I enjoyed doing and others could see the love I had for the dance through my dancing.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
Since I was young, I was always told that the path to success was simple: go to college, get a good job, climb the corporate ladder, and eventually retire. But every job I had left me unfulfilled. I never enjoyed going to work, and more often than not, things would go sideways—whether it was dealing with a difficult manager, being in a toxic work environment, or navigating the exhausting politics of office life.
In 2012, while working at the Wynn Las Vegas as a newly promoted career counselor, I thought I was on the right track. My manager at the time was incredible, but shortly after my promotion, she left for another hotel. Her partner took over, and it was clear she didn’t care for me. Part of me believes it was because I was a well-educated, outspoken Black man. I told myself then, If this job goes south, I’m not going to force it—I’ll just take an acting class. Because if everything’s going to fall apart anyway, I’d rather it happen while I’m doing something I love.
So, I signed up for an acting class every Monday. Before long, it became my true passion. After a year of being miserable in that role, I left and joined my former manager’s new team. That position gave me the savings and stability I needed to finally move to California and fully pursue acting.
Looking back, I’d make the same choice over and over again. If anything, I wish I had started sooner. But I believe everything happens for a reason—God’s timing is a beautiful thing. I’m successful today because I trusted the process. And if there’s one thing I want others to take from my journey, it’s this: if there’s something you truly want to do, don’t let fear or obstacles hold you back. You are capable of so much more than you realize.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
As Black men, many of us grow up being told it’s not okay to cry, never admit when we’re not okay. We’re taught to push it down, keep moving, and “man up.” But I’ve learned that this mindset only piles on more pain and stress in the long run. Real strength isn’t about ignoring your emotions — it’s about having the courage to feel them and the space to process them.
At the end of the day, we’re men, but we’re also human. We feel just like anyone else. The more a man is allowed to feel, the stronger and healthier he becomes. That doesn’t mean every emotion has to dictate action — but giving yourself permission to feel opens the door to healing, honest conversations, and growth.
So to my brothers out there: don’t be afraid of your feelings. If something affects you, it matters. Don’t bury it. Process it. Because ignoring how you feel doesn’t make you stronger — facing it does.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
It wasn’t until I started acting that I truly felt excited to go to “work.” And honestly, that excitement hasn’t gone away. Anytime I’m headed to set, it’s already a good day. Even when the hours are long, I’m still grateful just to be there, doing what I love. I realized recently that I never say, “I’m going to work.” I always say, “I’m headed to set.” And that’s because acting doesn’t feel like work at all — it feels like joy.
There’s a quote from Along Came a Spider that stuck with me. Morgan Freeman says, “You’re born with a gift, and if not that then you get good at something along the way. And what you’re good at you don’t take for granted. You don’t betray it.” If you betray your gift, you betray yourself. That line has lived in my head ever since.
For me, it all starts with effort. Give everything you have. Take it seriously. Work hard, stay disciplined, and most importantly — believe in yourself. That belief, paired with patience and persistence, is what opens doors. Stepping onto set isn’t just luck; it’s the result of every hour of work I’ve put in to get there. And once you arrive, the grind doesn’t stop — you have to keep pushing to maintain that momentum.
My dream was never about fame. It was always about happiness — about waking up every day to do what I love. And for that, I’m truly thankful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://everythingaboutjay.com
- Instagram: iamjaylinzy
- Twitter: iamjaylinzy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JayLinzyTV
