Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jamie Taylor Ballesta. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jamie Taylor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I recently filmed a narrative short called ‘Petit Louis’ with our incredible director, Andre Bato. From the moment I read the character breakdown and sides, I connected to the character ‘Chiara’ and the story being told. ‘Petit Louis’ is about a young couple- Chiara (a runaway from America), and J (a French artist)- whose relationship we see play out in the confines of J’s apartment over the course of about three seasons. One of the things I love so much about this story is that it’s told in a non-linear format, much like the way we replay the highs and lows of relationships. That was something Andre imparted to us very early on and it really helped me conceptualize how to move in and out of extremely emotional scenes and into the highs of their relationship.
These characters are so vividly written, so rich with emotion, that this film was an instant dream come true to be part of. Getting to play out such a wide range of human emotions like this doesn’t happen with every project; and that’s not to even mention the incredible team of creatives I had the privilege of working with-everyone is absolute masters of their crafts and I feel very lucky and fortunate to have had that opportunity alone.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I first got into acting through community theater; my grandfather took me to see Wizard of Oz and i was instantly in love with performing. From there I did as much theater as I could all throughout high school, including some of my first big in-person auditions all the way in San Francisco, which my incredibly supportive mom would drive me to no matter what. I still decided I hadn’t had enough and went to college where I received my BA in theater performance. After schooling, I moved to LA to continue pursuing acting and taking classes.

Since being here, I’ve been fortunate in having opportunities to try out different genres of film and I have to say that one of my favorites so far has been ‘horror.’ I’ve loved scary movies my entire life- the adrenaline rush you get from watching characters explore the unknown, the constant guessing you do as a viewer trying to uncover the plot, just that continuous energy that flows from beginning to end in great horror films; that’s something I’m very drawn to as an actor. I think it’s always rewarding to have a strong effect like that on people through art. I’m still very drawn to dramas as well- I love being able to explore the range of human emotion in a way that shows people they aren’t alone in how they’re feeling; it’s kind of uniting in that way.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Being in the film industry, you really get a chance to see so many indie films and shorts that are impactful and beautiful and unique and may otherwise not be told in the mainstream way we’re used to. I think one of the best things we can do to support artists and creatives is to see as many different films as you can- watch indie movies and shorts and passion projects. It’s a wonderful way to both support artists’ work and to find even more films and artists that resonate with you or surprise you. Or you may love the creativity of how it’s shot and the storyline. One of my favorite things about being a viewer is to feel that surprise when i discover a film that just resonates with me to my core; something I haven’t seen before.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think given the amount of rejection and uncertainty in this industry, a lot of people question why we put ourselves through it, or why we don’t just choose a job with more stability. Honestly, I think if there was literally anything else in the world we could see ourselves doing or working towards on a daily basis that would make us happy, we would do it. But for the majority of us, this is what we feel most called to do; the thing that gives us the most joy and sense of freedom. I feel at my most alive when I get to work with other actors and creatives to tell a story that will affect people in the way we hope. I feel this so deeply that getting a ‘yes’ is worth so much more than all of the ‘no’s’ combined.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jamietaylorballesta
• Other: https://imdb.me/jamietaylorballesta

Image Credits

Matt Kallish
Rae Lieberman