ACTOR’S LIFE
Waking Up Every Morning in Her Artistry Meet Cadden Jones By Chr i s t i ne St e e l e
C adden Jones began cultivating her artistic talent early. Like most children, young Jones loved playing pretend. Growing up in Atlanta, she attended the Paideia School, a progressive liberal arts school that nurtured her creativity and free expression. “It really encouraged my inner artistic self to blossom and shine,” she says. “That was incredibly important for my later years. Atlanta was a wonderful environment for a child. I have fond memories of the parks, the weeping willow trees, and the hot Atlanta sun.” By the time she was a senior in high school, Jones knew what she wanted to do. “I applied early decision to the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and once I came to New York, it was full steam ahead. I devoted all of my studies and energy to my craft and career.” She booked her first professional role the day she graduated from college, landing the role of Maria in West Side Story at the Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston. She continued to pursue musical theater into her 20s, until, she says, “My partying days caught up with me, and I needed to step away from the spotlight and focus on my mental and physical health.” That’s when Jones found recovery, and herself. “It was truly the greatest gift, because it allowed me to go inward, and I was organically drawn to the camera. At that time in my healing process, I was finding my authentic voice, and the camera allowed for a great deal more intimacy and vulnerability, which I needed.” With sobriety as her foundation, her career began to take off. Her credits include recurring roles in the drama series Billions and the CW series Katy Keene , as well as roles in the comedy/drama The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel . Most recently Jones appeared as a guest star in FBI: Most Wanted . She has also won numerous awards for her performance in the short film, Dogmate . Cadden Jones will celebrate 15 years of recovery in March 2022. “My sobriety has given me everything,” she says. “I don’t think I would have any of the gifts that I have without that foundation. But even more so, the access to my emotional life that sobriety has given me has fed the characters that I have played. I am the actor I am today because of that emotional accessibility.” Her latest project, though, doesn’t involve a stage or a screen—yet. During the pandemic she wanted to continue to exercise her artistic muscles, so she took a writing class through The BGB Studio, led by Risa Bramon Garcia, a longtime casting director and director who founded the acting studio in LA with Steve Braun. “I’ve always wanted to write, and many shows have inspired me. Fleabag was one show that, when I saw
it, I thought, I want to write. And I want to write something like that.” Her first project, called Timing’s a Bitch , also features her in an act- ing role, along with Mike Faiola, one of the teachers at BGB. The short film is packed with drama and emotion in 15 minutes. She posted the short to her Instagram and it’s also featured on Vimeo through the BGB Studio. “I put off writing for years because of fear,” says Jones. “When I’m acting, I move into the character’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions, so I can be vul- nerable—but I’m playing a role. I won’t feel judged for myself because it’s the character that I’m portray- ing. But with writing, it feels way more vulnerable to tell stories from my own heart.” With TV, film, the- ater, and now writing under her belt, Jones says she’ll continue to pursue roles in all mediums and look for opportunities to stretch her artistic mus- cles. Her advice to other performance artists is to continue to hone your craft, be kind to yourself and others, and don’t try to be anyone but your own authentic self. “I think what I’ve learned is that your unique-
Cadden Jones
Photo by Chris Sorensen
ness is your gift. Don’t try to be like anybody else. Your career trajectory is not going to look like anyone else’s, and it probably won’t look the way you think it’s going to look, but just trust it and keep going.” “I am waking up every morning in my artistry,” she adds. “When you embrace that lifestyle—knowing that it is going to be up and down, all around and everything
in between—it is a great deal more rewarding. And comforting, in a way. A true surrender to the journey.”
@caddenjones | www.imdb.me/caddenjones
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