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

Meggie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today 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?

I’m blessed to have been given an opportunity to start young. I saw my first theater show at 12 and fell in love with it immediately. I auditioned for their next play and was cast as one of the supporting leads. It was so wonderful to start out with local theater because the environment was so supportive and allowed me to grow through school performances as well.

One thing people tend to forget in the day and age we live in now, is that there is free information available for anything you’re wanting to pursue. Youtube and podcasts offer such a wealth of knowledge that there is no excuse for NOT learning as much as you can about the business of entertainment as well as the craft. I am a firm believer that no matter your creative path, you need to understand the business of it and that is essential in show business. It will not only allow you to market yourself better, it will help you to understand that it really isn’t personal as well as enable you to fully understand every aspect of the process so you can appreciate it. This can also lead to more opportunities for you on productions as well as to create you own projects.

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?

This is the part of the interview I always dread, so I’ll default to a bio that a friend of mine wrote for me:

With over forty film and television credits to her name, award-winning actress Meggie Jenny has been in front of the camera for as long as she can remember. Born in Kansas City, she is an identical twin (older by 45 seconds) and has dedicated her platform to helping other actors prepare for and land roles by her almost daily video lessons. Twice nominated as the People’s Choice Actress of the Year at the International Christian Film Festival, Meggie has also been nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at film festivals around the country, taking home wins in each category. Meggie is the host of the highly rated web series, Meggie Rambles, where she interviews talent and crew from all over the globe. And as a strong female lead, Meggie landed the lead role in the pilot for the upcoming PureFlix series, “Saved by Grace.”

As far as what I do and why I do it, I know that I was created to be in the entertainment industry. I have these gifts and this passion to encourage, inspire and bring hope to a dying world. These gifts are not for me, they are to bring Glory to God and point people to Him. In addition to working as an actress, I also have a passion for helping other actors in this industry. It can seem so lonely and cut throat, but this industry only gets better when we help each other. One of the ways I do this is by posting on my social media accounts acting tips on the regular as well as doing private coaching.

I also love reading and writing scripts. I love strong dialogue and stories with depth and heart. I have been blessed to be able to read and give feedback on several scripts over the years. I do always warn those who ask for my feedback on anything that I’m one who likes to give honest feedback and make sure they are ready for that, even if they don’t like it or agree. Again, I’m a firm believer that we get better as an industry as a whole when we help each other, and you can’t get better if you get an “atta boy” when you should have gotten some constructive feedback.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

In this world, we are trained to believe that success is measured by bank accounts. It’s not. Of course, being responsible and paying your bills is a must, but if you have a passion for creatives arts and you instead spend your life in a corporate office because that’s the “right thing to do”, you are robbing yourself, and the world, of what you were created to do.

That doesn’t mean couch surfing to pursue your dreams, but it does mean allowing yourself to not cut off. Find a way to balance being responsible for yourself and still allowing yourself the space to do that thing that’s always in the back of your mind. It’s never too late to start chasing your dreams. You may be chasing them at 2 am while the world sleeps because you’ve been grinding at your day job to pay the bills, but if you love what you’re doing, it will fill you up, not drain you.

For those who aren’t built that way, those who thrive in the corporate world, I would love the conversation to switch to support of those who refuse to give up their dreams as opposed to pointing out how hard it will be. Trust me, they know. But what if instead you said how inspiring it is that they are putting in the work all while still doing what they need to do to pay the bills. One day, you may be able to look at them as they are crushing it in the creative world and honestly say that you supported them the whole way.

Encouraging words will stoke a fire. A negative word will douse it quicker than you can imagine.

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

The most rewarding aspect is knowing this is what I was created to do. I won’t pretend it’s all sunshine and butterflies. There are days that are hard, but when you know this is your calling, you can weather those storms.

Bringing life to a character and being able to portray them in such a way that will impact someone emotionally, that is a gift. It’s not something I take lightly. I don’t discount how much media and entertainment shapes our society. TV shows and movies impact how we view the world. They can create empathy, bring joy, reveal injustice and change our own perspective on things. It is an extremely important responsibility to me. The movies and shows I help create have the potential to touch lives long after I’m gone. They will outlive me. I take that responsibility and privilege very seriously.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.meggiejenny.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/meggiejenny
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/meggiejenny
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/meggiejenny
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MeggieJenny
• Other: www.imdb.me/meggiejenny