Meet Jarrett Austin Brown | Actor, Dancer, Writer, Director & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jarrett Austin Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jarrett Austin, what is the most important factor behind your success?
My willingness to take risks, push myself, and, if I fail, refine and try again lives within me. Failure resides in comfort, but success thrives in fear. Therefore, don’t be your own glass ceiling.

At a young age, I found success in dance not only through talent but also through my relentless pursuit of risk-taking and the enhancement of my arsenal of styles. From Hip Hop to Ballet, Horton, Limón, Graham, Dancehall, African – studying diverse styles painted a rich career for me both on and off the screen. Around the age of 16, acting ignited my love for the TV/Movie world, and that’s when my willingness to embrace failure began. Despite advice to stay in my lane, I sensed grander paths, knowing that God had greater plans. Although I had already started building a name for myself in the dance world, I was willing to start all over from the beginning to chase a new dream while still pursuing dance. With success having defined my childhood, (I started being on TV during elementary school), the feeling of stepping into something not guaranteed to be prosperous scared me. For most, uncertainty in success steers them away, but for me, I have grown to embrace challenges and run head-on.

From NY to LA! In 2019, with the dream of becoming a great actor, I hopped on a plane and moved across the country. Most people move to LA in hopes of their “big break,” yet I went, fearful at first of what would come, but knowing that to be great, I had to go to the place where everyone wanted what I wanted, and the competition was at its highest. In order to understand how great you are, you must be willing to jump in with the best and see how well you can hold your own. Even if you fail against them, as I did plenty of times, you will learn and grow. So, don’t let your pride get in the way. You have to be willing to hit rock bottom if you seek to reach the top, and that’s how I walked through life every day. It wasn’t easy, but if you remain focused, adversity won’t define you; it will build you to be better than you were before.

Beauty lies on the other side of fear. Therefore, don’t let the nervousness you feel due to the fear of failure dictate your desire to achieve great feats by taking risks. I have found that nerves are no more than energy, and when energy is channeled the right way, instead of hindering you, it elevates you to heights you didn’t see as possible. Use those nerves as a tool for success and in the process, if you fail in the moment, you will learn and try again.
Many view failure as a final destination, but to me, it is just a chapter in my book. A book that goes on until I decide to stop writing it. One of my favorite quotes is, “Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.” When you put that into context with what I am saying, it shows that even if you fail today, tomorrow is anew, so why not try? You can only fail by giving up, so take the leap of faith and see what happens.

Today, this endless craving to change tempo and take risks still motivates me and has led me to writing, directing, and producing for FORTY-EIGHT SINCLAIR: a New York/Los Angeles-based Film/Television production company founded by my sister (Samantha Brown) and me. (@48sinclair)

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
To date, I am most proud of my ability to achieve in every avenue I set my mind to. Starting dance at the age of six, by eight, I was professional. Some of my dance credits include working with Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, WizKid/Drake, Rosalía, Anita, Janelle Monae, Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Nike, The Grammy’s, and The Oscars, among others. As the list goes on, I look back on the kid in me who simply wanted to dance, and I smile, knowing that I’ve graced some of the biggest stages in the world — from Madison Square Garden to the Crypto Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center).

Now, let’s move on to acting. While I am still relatively new in my career, I have already led two features (to be announced at a later date) and worked on shows such as HBO’s Euphoria, Comedy Central’s Broad City, and Netflix’s Colin In Black And White; which I was even featured on Netflix’s Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) for.

Having told stories from in front of the lens my entire life, I am most excited about FORTY-EIGHT SINCLAIR and the opportunity to tell stories from behind the lens. I have achieved success thus far by being the person who loves to excel in multiple industries. Having worked as a professional actor, dancer, and model, I now also hold the titles of director, writer, producer, and CEO. While some might feel lost by juggling more than one profession, for me, focusing on just one feels limiting. On a side note, I also explore various pursuits to learn more about myself. Over my 16+ years in the entertainment industry, I have learned that you don’t truly know what you want to do or if you love what you do until you do it to the fullest.

Speaking of overcoming challenges, as I mentioned earlier, adversity and I are not strangers. I have certainly experienced my share of ups and downs while navigating this industry, but what has kept me going is something my friend Jason Tomlinson pointed out. While discussing the relentless hustle, he emphasized that the journey becomes smoother when you discover your “Why?” Why do you do what you do? Why do you aspire for success? Why won’t you give up? When you dig deep daily to unearth your “Why?” and continue questioning, over time, you unveil what truly drives you. I don’t have every aspect of my “Why?” fully figured out, but I recognize that part of it revolves around inspiration. I don’t give up because I want to be a pillar of strength for others — I’ve been that way my whole life. If I don’t persist and achieve, I feel that my purpose on Earth remains unfulfilled. So, when confronted with adversity, I know to soldier on and maintain the hustle, because greatness has a way of spreading, and the youngster at home who’s uncertain about their path might find motivation in my journey and in turn discover their own purpose.

Shifting back to our production company, Samantha (@Samantha.l.brown) and I are currently engaged in the development of several feature films (to be announced at a later date) in which we have the privilege of spearheading projects entirely on our own, for now. The sensation of transforming your vision into reality is one I wish for everyone to experience at least once. FORTY-EIGHT SINCLAIR is dedicated to crafting fresh, innovative stories that both captivate and challenge audiences, encouraging deeper exploration of life’s simple elements. With work spanning genres such as drama, comedy, sci-fi, horror/thriller, family, and animation, FORTY-EIGHT SINCLAIR’s array of Film/TV caters to all audiences. The first project set to be released is titled FALLEN TREES.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We start with a one-hour workout at LA Fitness in Noho West. Then, for breakfast, we head to BluJam Cafe on Ventura in Sherman Oaks around 10 am, of course. After that, we head over to the Glendale Galleria for some shopping. Around lunchtime, we hang by the Galleria for a bit and stop by Bacari to eat. Then we head into Studio City to Universal CityWalk AMC Theater and catch a movie (Side note: Movie Theaters are my safe space). After the movie, we wing it and roam until dinnertime. When dinner hits, we roll through to get the best wings in LA at Blaqhous Noho – the Carolina Gold Wings. Shoutout to Blaqhous Noho, a black-owned restaurant in North Hollywood CA. When we finish, we will go up to the Mulholland Scenic Overlook and look out onto the city. This is my favorite place in LA. I love going to the overlook because when you look out onto the night sky, you see a bunch of tiny lights, each one representing someone else. When I look at the lights, I remind myself that each one of those tiny lights is going through their own problems. It reminds me that not only am I not alone, but my problems are not as big as they might seem. Everyone faces struggles, even the richest, so be grateful for life and keep trekking on.

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 would love to dedicate my shoutout to mom, Adrienne Richardson. She has been the leading cause for my success since entering this industry at age 8. Most parents want their kids to go off into traditional careers but my mother saw the glow in my eyes and vowed to do everything she could to make sure I reach my dreams. She would travel me around the country and sit endless hours at rehearsals and in the dressing rooms on set, so I could go be great. Mind you, while at times she pushed me, she never applied pressure on me to be perfect, she understood that I would have my flaws and that she could guide me through them helping shape the man I am today. Thank you for being my biggest fan, and hardest critic. I know your love for me fueled you to make me happy, and now as I continue to rise in this industry I hope my love for you is received in the same way.

Instagram: @jarrettaustinbrown

Twitter: @jarrettabrown

Other: FORTY-EIGHT SINCLAIR IG: @48sinclair