Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Rhodes.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After 60 years as a professional actor, today I’m considered an Acting Icon. I sometimes wonder if “they” have confused Icon with Dinosaur. I stared my career in Baltimore, Md. I won a scholarship to The Hilltop School of Voice and Drama, which later became the Baltimore College of Dramatic Art, and no longer exist. After two years of doing a season of summer stock at the Hilltop Theatre, located in Harper’s Ferry W. Va., and working with theatre groups in Baltimore, I left for NYC. Had a friend there that I had met in Baltimore, and he shared an apt with two other actors. They needed a fourth roommate so I moved in. Four actors in a two room brownstone apt on W. 76th Street. I started making the “rounds”, a common term for searching for work as an actor. By a strange piece of luck I attended a class at the New Theatre School one evening, filled in for a missing student and did a scene with the actress. The teacher, a really great guy/actor & teacher, Karl Redkoff, recommended me to the administrators & they offered me a scholarship. From there, and many, many, part time jobs, I was able to study with some of the most famous acting teachers of the day. Even today people will remember Lee Strasberg & Sandy Meisner. I started to get some jobs, small parts in the TV industry & did shows like, “The Reporter” with Bill Shatner, “The Defenders” with E.G. Marshall, “Mr. Broadway” with Craig Stevens, and did my first NY film, “Who Killed Teddy Bear” starring Sal Mineo & Juliet Prowse. Shortly after that “run”, the TV industry dried up in NYC, so I made the move to L.A. – Hollywood. Got lucky with a small role on “Peyton Place”, they liked my work and offered me a small recurring role of a Hospital Intern. I continued to work as an actor and started to land some very good roles in both television and films. Became a member of The Melrose Theatre and continued to work as an actor. during my career I’ve done some major films and TV series work. I’ve had recurring roles on five TV series including “The Streets of San Francisco” & “Matlock”, plus three daytime (Soap Opera) series. I’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the profession, like John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman, Michael Douglas, Jodie Foster, Mia Farrow, Chuck Connors, Robert Wagner, Jill St. John, Sean Penn, James Garner, Karl Malden, Nick Nolte, Barbara Rush & Andy Griffith to name a few. During my career as an actor I’ve also written an award winning documentary, The American Cowboy (Starring Chuck Connors), an award winning play, about the life of Ernest Hemingway, PAPA “the man, the myth, the legend”, which I starred in for over five years. I’ve toured in a number of long running theatrical plays and continue to work on film projects. I’ve written a Book, an autobiography entitled, “The Life of a Blue Collar Actor”, available on BookBaby Book Shop, and it gives a complete view of my life as an actor.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course it was a struggle early in my career. Acting is never an easy profession to undertake, but if you are fortunate to do something you truly love, then it makes it all worthwhile. Years ago I had a conversation with George Burns and he told a group of us young actors to try and fall in love with your work, because if you loved your work, you’d never really have to “work a day in your life”. We can all take that with a grain of salt, but his meaning was clear.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an actor, writer, director & producer. I should be known for my professional work in film, TV and theatre, since I do film, television, live theatre, and talk with students at universities & workshops that are interested in the theatrical arts as a profession. My body of work speaks for itself and that, if anything, should set me apart from others.
What does success mean to you?
Being happy with the work you do, and bring to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jordanrhodes.com
- Facebook: Jordan Rhodes.com
- Youtube: Jordan Rhodes-Actor
- Other: [email protected]
