Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Jacinte Blankenship Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Ming Zhao

You are enough. I know it sounds cliche, but it really is the truth. Your presence here on this planet is purposeful and you were made for it. Yes we are constantly learning and evolving, but at our core, we’ve got the goods. Whenever I was afraid that I wouldn’t rise to a certain occasion, somehow as long as I was prepared, open, and did my best, the person I needed to be always showed up.

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jacinte Blankenship

Jacinte Blankenship is an actor, writer and producer who’s recently received her first Emmy nomination, for her performance in a short form series that she also co-wrote and co-produced, Intersection.

She’s appeared on screen in blockbuster films such as The Conjuring: The Devil Made me Do It, and Just Mercy, hit shows such as Cobra Kai, and NCIS: New Orleans and the television movie reboot of The Waltons.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Thanks so much for having me! I grew up in Missouri City, Texas, a suburb of Houston. I had a pretty great childhood. My parents worked really hard to provide for whatever interests my brothers and I wanted to explore. I played violin, studied dance, played basketball, volleyball and ran track, even spent some time cheerleading. We lived in a predominantly black middle class neighborhood, but I was bussed to other schools a bit further out in my county. Thinking back, that allowed me to have a really strong sense of identity and community with the benefit of having friends and classmates from completely different backgrounds.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

Four years after I graduated from college with a Masters in Mathematics, I found myself working in management for a small restaurant group. I was content and doing well, but felt deeply that I hadn’t yet found my passion or my true offering in life. This brought up reflections of how much I enjoyed performing as a child. Almost as soon as I had that realization, random people in my life somewhat serendipitously asked me, “Have you ever thought about acting?” Shortly after, I sought out an acting class, and literally as soon as I arrived I knew I was home.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I had a callback for this film called Get On Up. I live in Atlanta, and the callback was in Natchez, MS, which by car is about 8 hours away. I wasn’t able to get any time off before the callback so another actor and I hit the road at midnight the night before the callback. We drove through the early morning hours and the heaviest fog I’ve ever seen in my life, and made it to Natchez with 30 minutes to spare. I had just enough time to change my clothes and take the rollers out of my hair. I was near delirious in that callback, but it not only went well, I got cast in the film. Being part of that film, and working with Chadwick Boseman is still one of the greatest joys in my life.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Earlier in my career, I was holding down a full time job working fifty hours a week, while also trying to fit in auditions. I would receive audition appointments from my agent, and I thought the appointment would start promptly at the scheduled time. I tried fitting them in on lunch breaks or while running “errands’’ and quickly I learned that casting sessions are unpredictable and hardly ever run on schedule. Trying to juggle that job while pursuing my passion was stressful and compromising for both the company I worked for and my acting journey. After a handful of years of that, I lost that job. And truthfully it was the wake up call I needed to realize that my acting career was first and I could fit other “survival jobs” around it. Not the other way around.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I’ve had so many people help me along the way, but one of my first acting teachers immediately comes to mind. Nevaina Rhodes was the teacher that really helped find my way of storytelling. Her classes were always challenging and scary but also honest and safe spaces of exploration of my experiences, relationships and comportment that I could lend to the work.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

I would say “take the first step”. Even that may seem intimidating, but I find taking a new path, any path, one step at a time lessens the fear and keeps me encouraged that I can keep going.

Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?

I’m hoping sooner than later living in a market like Atlanta doesn’t hinder your opportunities for major principal roles. There are so many productions made here in Georgia, but often the casting for those parts happen elsewhere. I’ve witnessed some incredible breakthroughs happen for actors here, but still the local talent is mostly only considered for roles reserved for local hires. There are some incredibly talented actors and filmmakers here, and they shouldn’t be limited in their opportunities because they don’t reside in Los Angeles or New York.

You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?

In some ways, I feel like I’m just getting started. I’m still auditioning as much as I can and growing in my craft and experience on set. Co-writing and co-producing a short form series expanded my awareness of my ability to create, and I want to explore more of that. So more writing, and hopefully development of our web series, Intersection.

We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?

I believe it is affirming for anyone when they can look onscreen and see themselves reflected in an authentic way. Having diverse images and stories also allows us to see humanity in one another, what connects us more than what separates us. Seeing diverse content in film and television sends our youth the message that they don’t have to be limited in their beliefs of what’s possible.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. It always works out.- This doesn’t always mean things work out the way we want, but they always work in our favor. Often its a lesson that aided me in the future or a completely different (sometimes better) outcome than I’d imagined.
2. Find joy in other spaces. There have been moments in time where I was completely wrapped up in my career goals that I didn’t make space for other things that brought me joy. My happiness was mostly tied to those goals and it caused a lot of frustration. Being able to find joy in things completely unrelated to my career, brought some balance to my life and actually brought forth the wins I had been working for all along.
3. Say yes more. I read Shonda Rhimes’ book Year of Yes, and it encouraged me to yes to ideas and opportunities they were way out of my comfort zone. Essentially that’s how this Emmy nomination came about. I said yes to my friend Jennica Hill who asked if I wanted to collaborate on this web series she was working on. I was apprehensive because I hadn’t written much before, and turns out I found so much more confidence as a writer once I committed. What a wonderful discovery and journey it’s been.
4. Do the work and let it go. I used to walk in every audition yearning to book the job. Sometimes that hunger played well in the room but often times I think casting could feel my desperation. I can’t pinpoint when the shift happened for me, but I stopped walking into the room focused on the result. I started walking in to enjoy the moment and give what I had to offer creatively, then let it go. I’ve realized I can’t control what happens after that moment, so its not helpful to me to angst about it.
5. You are enough. I know it sounds cliche, but it really is the truth. Your presence here on this planet is purposeful and you were made for it. Yes we are constantly learning and evolving, but at our core, we’ve got the goods. Whenever I was afraid that I wouldn’t rise to a certain occasion, somehow as long as I was prepared, open, and did my best, the person I needed to be always showed up.

Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.

I actively and intentionally take days off. Days where I sleep in, spend the day reading, clean my house while listening to music or simply do nothing. I think it’s important to disconnect from the hustle and devices, and spend time alone. I also encourage travel. Visiting other countries or going on a day trip and connecting with the people and culture of those places always expands my heart and mind. Oh, also movement, or deep breathing. Connecting my mind and body, even for just a few moments, does wonders.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“There but for the grace of God go I.” My mother gave me a hand painted plate some years ago with that scripture written on it. It’s in a place in my kitchen where I see it almost daily, and it reminds me to stay humble and gracious.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

I have quite the list! Ava Duvernay, Barry Jenkins, Viola Davis..The people I just mentioned pushed the narrative, of not just the black experience but human experiences. And they do it boldly and beautifully. Listen… I’m over here doing some serious praying and practices in manifestation to work with them.

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Thank you and thank you for having me! These were incredibly thoughtful questions, this was such a pleasure.