Meet Jackie Dallas | TV and Film Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackie Dallas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jackie, how do you think about risk?
I’ve always been a risk taker, but I think it’s important to understand what you’re getting yourself into. I like to take what I call ‘calculated risks’. Going from any career to one of an artist is a risky venture. You give up the stability and security that a scheduled job offers, but in exchange you give yourself the chance to pursue your passions and find a level of personal purpose and satisfaction that a true 9 to 5 may never fulfill.

When I think back on my transition from medicine to acting, it may have seemed like a sudden and spontaneous impulse to those around me, but in reality, it was a decision that took me a year to prepare for. First, was actually making the choice, which is arguably the hardest part. It’s easy to continue to put things off claiming to wait for the ‘perfect moment’ but at some point, you just have to make the jump. From that point, I spent a lot of time ‘calculating’ the logistics. How much of an investment would it take to get my business off the ground? How long would it take to start making money? Would I need to move to get closer to a market where I could thrive? I also spent a lot of time learning about the new industry since I didn’t have a background in it. What would I need in my actor portfolio to get hired? What was the process of casting? How could I get an agent or a manager? I believe that the more prepared you are, the better your chances of success.

Once I felt that I had a plan in place, I looked for any opportunities to get first hand exposure, such as doing background work, student films and indie shorts, all before I made any permanent changes to my current day to day work. Not only did it teach me about what to expect when I dived in, but it reaffirmed that I was making the right choice. But finally, the day came when I needed to actually take the plunge. I put in my notice to my job drove to California with a car full of essentials and a pocket full of dreams. It was the first moment, when suddenly the risks and consequences of failure became terrifyingly real. That feeling was incredibly motivating. I went a 110% in continuing to learn as much as I could. I had an emergency fund, but worked to find a flexible way to support my journey. I knew it would be a lot of work, time and effort, without any guarantee for success, but I had faith in myself and trusted that things would work out.

And the risks didn’t end there. I was constantly seeking ways to grow and gain advantages. I took on projects that didn’t always sound promising, submitted for representation without any credits and spent my savings to travel to other markets to learn about the industry on a nationwide level. A lot of the risks didn’t pan out as I hoped, but a few key ones did. But you have to take a few shots to hit a goal.

Fast forward a few years, I’m so grateful for where I am and what I’ve been able to accomplish. I know I’m one of the fortunate ones, but luck aside, I’m also proud to say that I did the work to prepare me when I got the opportunities.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I had always wanted to be an actress, and only later in life realized that it was a real thing that I could pursue! It is such a privilege to be able to tell stories and offer an audience a new perspective or escape from their lives, even if just for a little time. But selfishly, I love how it does the same for me! Getting to transform into other characters and vicariously live other lives, is such an enriching experience for me and I feel like I learn so much about myself and the world with each role I take on. I’ve been honored to be able to appear on several hit TV shows and popular films, but I’m always even more humbled when invited to be a part of passion projects in the indie world. Finding the balance of working on professional productions and telling quality stories can be a challenge, but these are the things that I love most about being an actress.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the most amazing things about living in Los Angeles is that there is SO much to do! Living here as a local is such a different experience than coming here for a vacation, but whenever I have friends and family visit, there is nothing I love more than taking them to my favorite restaurants and booking unique experiences that you can’t get anywhere else! Sushi in LA is one of my favorite cuisines, and the Mexican food is unrivaled. I don’t even necessarily take them to a sit down restaurant for Mexican as some of the best tacos I’ve ever had have been from food trucks. If their trip coincides with pop up events or immersive theater experiences, I always love to book tickets, because the amount of production value that these events have is always so impressive in a town of set designers and actors. And of course, if it is their very first time in LA, we spend a day doing the touristy stuff and seeing iconic spots, like the Hollywood sign from the Griffith Observatory, the Getty, walking along Venice and Santa Monica pier, and a quick cruise down Hollywood Boulevard.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I couldn’t be here without others having taken a risk on me. My amazing husband was the first to encourage me to pursue acting, knowing that it would make me happy and having faith in my abilities to succeed. It was many years of his support, both emotionally when I’d get overwhelmed, and financially when my side hustles would dry up, but he never made me feel stupid or guilty about my decision and for that I will be eternally grateful. I also want to recognize my manager, Walter Tabayoyong who offered to meet me one afternoon when I was still non-union, without any recognizable credits and didn’t even live in LA. Trying to find any representation when you have nothing concrete to bring to the table is one of the biggest challenges as an actor, but Walter must have seen something in me that made him offer a tentative contract. I didn’t want to let him down and committed myself to working as hard as he did with continuing to self-submit, drive the 6 hours from San Francisco for every audition I got and took every bit of advice that he gave me. With his mentorship, patience and valuable introductions, I found my opportunities flourish and I can only hope that he’s proud of me! There are also countless filmmakers who have trusted me with roles in their projects when I was still green, some through referrals and others without even an audition, who have given me the first credits I needed to progress in my career. Some of whom, I still consider good friends to this day!

Website: https://www.jackiedallas.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxdallas

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jackiedallas

Other: https://www.imdb.me/jackiedallas

Image Credits
Getty Images: Albert L. Ortega