We were lucky to catch up with Jayme Mantos recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jayme thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Ever since I was a little kid! My mom is a very talented writer and my dad was an equally talented musician and comedian, so I was always encouraged by them to pursue this field professionally once they saw that I developed a passion and talent for it. When I was young my mom would read books aloud to me and do all the voices, and my dad and I were always doing different bits, characters, accents and impressions back and forth, so everything naturally led me to work in voice-over. I would walk around the house humming before I could speak, and would sing-a-long to all the parts in Disney movies. I’ve also always loved writing, and won a school-wide competition in kindergarten for best short story. It was about a kid who wished for two cocker spaniel puppies for Christmas, which was a not-so-subtle nod to my parents that I wanted a dog haha. I got involved in theatre, started acting in all the school plays and was signed by my first agent in Virginia at the age of 14. Not long after that I booked my first role on a TV show, and the rest is history!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hey, I’m Jayme! I’m a voice actor, writer, and mental health advocate, though I also wear a lot of other hats such as casting assistant, copywriter/copy editor, musician and dog mom to my Schnoodle Trace. Good thing I look good in hats, haha! Voice acting is my main passion, and I specialize in animation, video games, commercial, ADR/dubbing, and corporate narration. Growing up as a 90’s kid I was naturally obsessed with cartoons and video games, so getting to live out that childhood dream of bringing them to life is such a “pinch me” moment. Plus, I’m a musical theatre kid, so any time I get to express myself through music is a bonus!

As a writer, I love writing in all forms: poetry, songwriting, short scenes for social media content, copywriting for voice-over demo reels, and my personal favorite, screenplays. I especially love writing for animation, and am currently developing a couple of animated features, an animated short, and two animated series pilots through my production company Elpida Productions. Each of these is very near and dear to my heart, and I can’t wait to get them out there and share them with the world.

Another cause close to my heart is mental health advocacy. I’ve struggled with clinical depression and anxiety for most of my life and spent too many years suffering because I had neither the resources nor emotional intelligence to seek the help I needed, which felt very lonely. Now that I’ve spent years educating and healing myself, it’s my number one mission in life to help others know that they’re not alone and provide a safe space for them to process their feelings and seek the help they need so that they can feel empowered and supported. I use my platforms to share mental health tips, have been featured on several mental health/mindset panels for actors, and am currently working within the NAVA (National Association for Voice Actors) to help give back to our community within the mental health space. I also promote awareness and education via the benefits of sense memory and aromatherapy through my candle company Guiding Glow Candle Co. Each candle purchased also supports The Trevor Project, which is another organization I actively champion.

Whether in acting, writing, or advocacy, I bring a heart-filled approach to anything I’m a part of, and aim to be a light in the world for others and illuminate stories that need to be shared. When I have free time, I enjoy doing puzzles, playing piano/guitar/banjo, puppetry, and working towards my goal of visiting every lighthouse in America.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I feel like my whole pursuit of this career has been a lesson in resilience. When I was in high school, I got a perfect score on my Governor’s School for the Arts audition, only to be rejected simply because they weren’t taking as many private school students that year. I auditioned for my college’s BFA program 4 times and was rejected each time, for a myriad of political reasons. I moved out to LA and spent all of my 20’s grinding with little to show for it while others who moved here after me rose to the top. I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t deeply discouraged by these rejections and that they made me question my validity as an artist, but they also taught me the valuable gift of the pivot and choosing to believe in myself when seemingly no one else would. This is all I’ve ever wanted to do, and I’m never going to quit working towards achieving my dreams, When Governor’s School didn’t pan out, I doubled down on dance classes, singing lessons, acting in every project I could get my hands on. When my college’s BFA program rejected me, I chose to double major in their BA Acting program and Film programs, and immersed myself in both communities and forms of storytelling to learn more about the bigger picture. When I wasn’t gaining traction with on-camera in LA, I found my love of voice-over and rediscovered my love of writing, which has led me down a very gratifying and exciting path that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. They say when one door closes, another one opens, and I firmly believe that each rejection helped prepare me for the realities of this industry and emboldened me to forge my own path.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the collaborative nature of it. Inspiration truly can come from anywhere (or anyone), and I love getting to bring those stories to life. My favorite thing is when I get to be on set, in the booth, or onstage building this story with all of the other wonderful creatives involved, that’s when it really gets fun. I’ve been inspired by various art forms all my life, and it has been a liferaft for me when I needed it most. If I can make something that, in turn, can touch at least one other person and make them feel seen, heard, or less alone, then that is the most gratifying gift I can receive as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jaymemantos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymemantos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaymeMMantos/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaymemantos
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQHQvNvRiGbMoSXDG6RYZA
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaymemantos

Image Credits
Leah Huebner