Performance alum stars in new Prime series Davey & Jonesie’s Locker

Performance at The Creative School provides a unique training ground, cultivating artists who seamlessly transition from student to world-class professional. Offering an unparalleled education in acting, dance and production, the School of Performance boasts a legacy of successful alumni like Jaelynn Thora Brooks. After graduating from the Performance Acting program earlier last year, she’s made it her goal to rise to stardom, and her most recent endeavour is sure to get her one step closer to that goal: co-starring in Amazon Prime’s newest comedy series, Davey & Jonesies Locker (external link) .

For many people, aligning deep-held passions with long-term career goals is a journey that evolves over the years, much like changing seasons. Unlike the seasons, however, Brook’s long-held passion for acting remained constant, inevitably leading her to pursue a career in acting through her program.

“Acting has always been it for me,” remarked Brooks. “It’s not my only interest by any means but it’s definitely been the thing that’s stuck the longest. I pursued acting because at the time there was nothing else that I had the same level of drive to do — nothing that gave me the same satisfaction.”

Brooks’s dedication and passion for acting, as it turns out, would eventually lead her to her debut co-lead role on Davey & Jonesie’s Locker: a show that follows the adventures of two best friends who stumble upon a multi-dimensional portal in their high school locker.

A peak behind the silver screen

While getting the opportunity to work on a production set isn’t new to Brooks, doing so in such a central capacity was. From alternate realities to the offbeat versions of her classmates, every detail was meticulously crafted to immerse viewers in the world of the show. What’s more, the cast and crew who were a part of the production in Toronto couldn’t have been better in Brook’s eyes.

“I feel so lucky to be a part of Davey and Jonesie’s Locker,” said Brooks. “It was unreal to be able to go right from school to such a special project. I have a deep love for the show and our incredible team. It was our wonderful cast, creator Evany Rosen, and directors Allison Johnston and Bruce McDonald who made the experience so outstanding. I’m grateful that it brought so many new, wonderful, talented people into my life who I learned so much from during filming.”

“Watching a few scenes from the show I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were able to piece all of the takes together into something cohesive because all I can remember from those days are my co-star Veronika Slowikowska and I laughing at each other so hard we could barely get our lines out,” said Brooks.

Rising to success in the entertainment industry

Regardless of where aspiring actors are currently at, Brooks says that staying true to themselves and honing their craft will ultimately lead to success — especially for those who consider themselves perfectionists. 

“For people who tend to have overly ambitious tendencies, nothing you do will ever feel like enough and that need to be constantly achieving and accomplishing things can take away from the recognition and appreciation you have for yourself and the work you’re doing at that moment,” adds Brooks.

She also emphasizes the importance of perseverance and an appreciation of the work the artists are doing, no matter the scale. “Appreciate the work that you’re doing, whether it’s playing a lead role, booking a one-liner, or even just taking an acting class,” says Brooks.

With the release of Davey & Jonesie’s Locker debuting earlier last week, Brooks is grateful for the opportunities that have come her way and recognizes the importance of taking the time to be truly grateful. Focusing on self-love is an important piece of success, but not the bath-bomb kind, as Brooks remarks.

“It’s good to be ambitious, but you also need to leave room for self-love. And not self-love in the garbage use a bath bomb way, self-love as in being unconditionally grateful to be who and where you are no matter what,” says Brooks.

Interested in learning more about Davey and Jonesie’s Locker? Watch the series on Amazon Prime or Hulu now.

The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University

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