We recently connected with Jamad Mays and have shared our conversation below.

Jamad, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

.That’s such a loaded question. For starts I feel, everyone has a gift within themselves. But it’s our job to find a way to access that gift, nurture the gift, then share it with the world. I never knew that there was an interest in acting before it found me. I was always a sports guy growing up. But it wasn’t until my neighbor said he saw something within me and told me I should consider acting. Again, something I didn’t think was an interest of mine. Sometime later, I took him up on that offer and we would later work on a monologue and from that moment on, I was bitten by the bug.

Thereafter, I began taking acting classes to improve my skill set. I was so eager to become the best actor that I could be. I’m talking on-camera classes, fundamental classes, improv classes, theater, you name it! If it meant me getting better as an actor, I was doing it.

But along the course of my studies, the one thing I’d always get repeatedly told was to bring Jamad to the character. And that advice completely shifted my approach to the work. There comes a point in time when you have to let go of the prep work and just play. Play like the inner kid in you, and at that moment that’s where you have to bring yourself to the table. So, I feel my God-given talents, and my life experiences mixed with technique and crafting are what allow me to be the actor that I am today. Bringing it all to the table. And once I learned how to bring myself to each character I played, that’s when it all came together for me.

Knowing what I know now, what would I have done to speed up the process… NOTHING. I am right where I need to be along my journey. I am growing at the rate that’s meant for me and my craft. Who knows, I could’ve done things that would’ve possibly expedited the process, but who’s to say that I would’ve found success having done those things? So, it’s all about timing and I feel I’m right where I need to be. You can’t rush the process, you have to trust it.

I believe the ability to be coachable is a major skill set that’s needed. That means being a great listener, being self-aware, and being malleable within that self-awareness. You have to know who you are in order to properly know what skillsets to focus on growing or which traits you can give to a character.

Believe it or not, the blocks that we set on ourselves can stop us from living out our fullest potential. Whether it be fear of making the wrong mistake, fear of looking silly in front of others, or even the fear of our own greatness can keep us from soaring to new heights. Once I noticed my own blocks and actively worked on them, that’s what ultimately led me to the freedom I desired in my work and in my life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Jamad Mays. A brother, a son, an uncle, an actor, a model, and a friend. I’m from northern New Jersey, right outside of New York City, in a town called Teaneck. It’s here where I found my love for acting, as well as the arts, as a whole. I grew up heavily into sports and played from fifth grade until my senior year of high school. Once I graduated high school, like others, I was in search of what my calling was. While pursuing my undergraduate degree in Accounting. My neighbor at the time, Charles Burks, suggested I give acting a try. I thought it through for a few months until I finally decided to go for it. And little did I know, I found that one thing I wanted to dedicate my life to.

What sets me apart from others, is my life’s experiences and how it’s shaped my view of life itself. What I bring to the table differs from other actors and that is my unique experience. So, my ability to be myself, authentically, is one of the many things that sets me apart.

What am I most proud of is that I never gave up on myself. The journey to becoming an actor, let alone attaining any goal that seems so out of reach, is not an easy one. It’s can be filled with moments of self-doubt, fear, anxiety, triumphs, breakthroughs, and everything else in between. But receiving that one yes, no matter how big or small, makes it all worthwhile.

I want my audience to know, that I’m more than what meets the eye. I love what I do and I am very passionate about it. At the same time, I’m really goofy and love to joke around. My family is everything to me and serves as a motivation for me in my work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect is seeing the smiles from my family with how proud they are of me and the work that I do. There’s nothing like sharing that joy with them. I’d also say being an inspiration to others. No matter how old or young, showing others no dream is too big or out of reach for you. That it is possible with a little bit of patience, hard work, faith, and a can-do attitude, you can accomplish anything.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn was that you don’t have to eat, sleep and breathe acting. What I mean by that is, often times society builds this notion that in order to succeed in what you’re trying to do, you need to dedicate yourself day in and day out to it. You’d have to sacrifice and almost build your life around this one thing. While some of that equation is true that there is a strong need for dedication and a laser-like focus to accomplish a goal. I do think, there is value in living a full life. Finding new hobbies, hanging with friends, reading a book, sitting out in a park, and not always sacrificing those things for our career. When I first started acting, I adopted the mindset that I had to stay in a classroom if I wanted to be a great actor. Abandoning the other side of the equation, which was living life. Because when you live your life, it allows you to pour into your work from a fuller cup because you’re doing the work and also enjoying yourself along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JamadMays.com
• Instagram: @Jamad.Mays
• Facebook: Jamad Mays
• Twitter: @Jamadmays11

Image Credits
Stan Chan Eric Yang