Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Ross.
Hi Jordan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born two months premature with Cerebral Palsy and Scoliosis. I also developed severe asthma. My medical conditions resulted in dozens of hospitalizations, over half a dozen major surgeries and several near-death experiences – including a two-week long coma. Because of these complications, I wasn’t able to play sports as a child. However, in searching for other hobbies, I discovered my love for acting at age 6 – when I was cast as Tiny Tim in a community theater production of A Christmas Carol. From then, I appeared in over 40 professional and community theater productions in both TX and California. Eventually, I began pursuing film and television roles. That’s when my limp and medical conditions started to became an issue. I was being told by casting directors to “tone the limp down” and was turned down by agents because my limp was too noticeable. All of that, in tandem with the bullying I was experiencing in High School, led to extreme depression, countless insecurities and even suicidal tendencies.
However, my love for acting kept me going. I was determined to prove people wrong and to do what I felt I was put on this planet to do. After living in LA on and off for about a decade (with very little success), I moved back home to TX, where I met my wife and started a family. Another major operation and a full-time job at an acting school derailed my goals as an actor. I went three years without booking a single professional acting gig. Then, in the summer of 2018, I booked The Chosen – playing the role of Little James. The Chosen is now the largest crowd-funded project (by far) with a budget of nearly 2.5 million each episode heading into season 3, and we are closing in on 300 million views worldwide. That has opened up several doors for me and my career. I also have several other projects that I have already shot which I can’t officially announce.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I touched on many of my struggles in the previous answer but I can go in a little more detail. When I was bullied in High School, it mostly started out as name calling and making fun of my differences. Eventually, it turned physical and I was getting beat up pretty regularly. As far as the acting world, I couldn’t set foot in an audition room without being paranoid that the casting director would notice my limp. I couldn’t fully focus on my audition or the character because I was too nervous that my limp would prevent me from having a real shot at it. I felt a deep shame and embarrassment when it came to my limp. I would avoid looking at reflective surfaces, windows and mirrors because I hated what I saw. However, my director on The Chosen (Dallas Jenkins) fully embraced my limp and made it part of my character. That, and the response that came from it, gave me a newfound confidence by showing me that I’m not alone. It also showed me that many people loved that thing about me that I hated most.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
After the positive reaction to my character in The Chosen and embracing my disability, I started a podcast called What’s Your Limp? In that podcast, I interview actors, athletes, public figures, etc. about their own struggles, insecurities and obstacles that they’ve overcome. So far, I’ve interviewed actors Paul Walter Hauser, Allison Tolman, RJ Mitte, Tyler Labine, Julio Cedillo, Ramy Youssef, Barry Corbin and more. I also have interviews lined up with actors Scoot McNairy, Bethany Joy Lenz, Pat Healy and others.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Dallas/Fort Worth is home. This is where the vast majority of my family is and it’s where I grew up. I love how you get the best of both worlds with urban and rural areas just a few miles apart. You can go to Downtown Dallas and have the big city experience and then you can go to the stockyards in Fort Worth and get a taste of country life and western living.
Contact Info:
- Website: jordanwalkerross.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejordanross/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejordanross/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thejordanross/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/whatsyourlimp
