JORDAN ALEXANDER SILENCED THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME AND DECEIDED TO BELIEVE IN HERSELF
From Gossip Girl to Pop Icon in waiting – let us introduce you to Jordan Alexander. We chatted with the Toronto native to learn about her acting career, new music, skin care must haves and more!
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
What was it like growing up in Toronto? What are some of your favorite memories from your adolescence living there?
I moved to Toronto when I was 18/19, and my favorite moments were going to every open mic I could find. Rain or shine, or blizzard (Canada). I needed to be around musicians, share my art and get up on stage. I loved it. I remember being so inspired and feeling a sense of community around people who expressed themselves with music, still am.
While living in Toronto you signed to a acting agency. What was this experience like for you back then?
Through acting I have done some modeling for magazines, press and FENTY! It’s extremely hard work, I feel like modeling is one of the things that I do that I have to work really hard for. Since I’ve been a musician in the scene, I would end up modeling for a photographer friend, or to get press shots for music, or a friend’s brand. I modeled for a local Toronto lingerie brand, and I love those shots so much. – herelove lingerie.
You first gained notoriety in the film and tv industry when you were on the cast of the Facebook Watch Series: Sacred Lies: The Singing Bones. Take us back to 2018 and talk about working on this project.
This was such an incredible validation, because I’d been with my agency for under a year and I still wasn’t sure about acting. My older sister was the one who had really pressured me to get back into it. So, when I booked a lead role for my first job I was in shock!
I decided to just run with my confidence and not doubt myself at all. I worked extremely hard, but I didn’t entertain whether I deserved to be there. Probably because Juliette Lewis (the lead on Sacred Lies) called me the night before I started shooting and left me the most beautiful voice note telling me that I belonged here and how excited she was to work with me.
That phone call really bolstered my decision to throw myself into acting. But acting is such a strange world and it’s easy to feel like booking a role is just a fluke. I think now 5 years later I have finally accepted that I do this and have really silenced the imposter syndrome and just believe in myself.
I gotta believe in myself cause how else I’m gonna get anywhere? I love having so much to learn and I like to stay curious so that I can keep getting better and better and be okay with the fact that I’m not an expert yet.
Talk to us about your role as Julien Calloway on the HBO reboot of Gossip Girl. What was it like being a part of this project?
It was beyond anything I could have possibly dreamed about at the time. I took the words of Juliette Lewis into that project and her attitude as well. Being the lead on a show is a big responsibility and she showed me how to do it with grace and humility.
I always tried my best to make sure everyone on set was comfortable and appreciated. Doing my part to create a safe working environment. Juliette also never complained, and I tried my best to emulate her in that way. She profoundly impacted how I navigated Gossip Girl. That was a truly life changing moment for me in so many ways, the scope of which is hard to really explain in short form. Completely changed the trajectory of my life and taught me so much!
Filming Gossip Girl was such a fabulous and glamorous experience, the likes of which I had never ever experienced. Honestly, I wasn’t ready for it. I didn’t understand luxury, or designers, or that elite lifestyle so I was really acting. I had nothing from my personal life to pull from. But then as time went on, I started to experience Gossip Girl type stuff in my real life and that was a trip.
I’ve always lived pretty modestly, never really having more than is necessary, my idea of a treat was going to the gas station and getting all my favorite snacks, and I literally never took an uber cause it’s so expensive.
So, to go from that to black cars and Michelin restaurants was wild. Julien taught me a lot; I feel like I’m more comfortable being glamourous and self-adoring now. I even like to post lots of videos on Instagram now, and I feel like that’s definitely her influence, very influential.
If you could work on any type of project, what would your ideal role be?
I want to work on an action film. Something physical and gritty. I pick up great traits from every role I play, and I really want to get into fitness so I feel like that could be a fun way to do it. Plus, I always imagine kicking ass, but I don’t ever actually want to hurt anyone (or myself) so doing it for pretend would be awesome, get out all my aggro energy.
Aside from acting and modeling you also have a passion for music. Over the past few years, you’ve released various singles from “You” to “Leaving Toronto”. How would you describe your sound and when can we expect a full body of work from you?
Yes! Music has been what I’ve done for the longest. My music is pop singer songwriter. I write about my feelings and interpersonal struggles or successes. My work is very autobiographical and since I’ve gotten into production my sound has evolved from guitar based to more complex.
My album “Now You’re Caught Up” comes out September 4th, 2024, executively produced by Juno Award winning rapper Haviah Mighty, with production and mixing/mastering by Juno Award winning producer Taabu (Juno is a Canadian Grammy). We’ve worked so hard and closely on this project and I really appreciate how Haviah and Taabu’s influence have elevated the project. I’m a certified lover girl so that’s pretty much the vibe. Longing.
While home in Toronto you attend local queer POC nights with friends. Talk to us about how you started going to these events and what you enjoy most about them.
Yes, I recently went to Jerk by Bambii (a queer dance rave) which was amazing, I love to dance and hang out with my people. I also just went to Wi Deh Ya which was incredible, it’s a Caribbean focused party in Toronto, and though it’s not specifically queer the queers were definitely present!
I got introduced to partying by my homie Sakina Garcia, they’re a 365-party girl and DJ, so they’re pretty much my go to for knowing what’s going on in the city! But I’ve also made the effort recently to find parties. For me it’s important to be in places where I am appreciated, Black/POC centric queer spaces are definitely where I will feel most myself and most appreciated, and in a world, that’s always trying to force marginalized people to be something they’re not, it’s so necessary to offset that. Find your people, and let your people find you.
Who would be your dream musical collab?
Charli XCX or Kehlani. Pop idols.
Walk us through your current skincare routine.
I recently switched up my routine and it’s really been working for me, my breakouts subsided, and the texture of my skin is so nice and smooth. First, I use an oil-based cleanser by Hada Labo, or Clinique, it takea off the day if I have lots of makeup on.
Then I will wash my face with Anua Heartleaf cleansing foam (in the morning I wash my face with Be Plain Mung Bean PH Balancing Cleansing Foam). Then I use Tirtir Milk Skin Toner, I just pat it onto my face.
Then I use Anua Birch 70 moisture serum. Then I use Cica Cream intense (because I have dry skin, and my skin loves tones of moisture). I occasionally use Cantella soothing cream as an alternate then I have an eye cream by Haruharu Wonder, black rice bakuchiol.
Top that off with Black Girl Sunscreen for UV protection. I’ve also been using this frequency wand thing that I got off the internet Nuderma, and I use a jade roller and a Gua Sha stone.
You can be seen rocking your natural hair or protective styles like braids. What are a few hair products you’ll never get rid of?
I LOVE the Kinky Curly brand; someone used it on me on set and since then I’ve just really taken to their products, I feel like it works well with my hair.
I’m also gonna need to have my Eco Style Gel to lay my edges. And if I got braids in, I need my Jamaican Mango and Lime No More Itch Spray.
I really love my natural hair and I’m so excited to have my hair longer, since my hair was shaved for so long.
What are some of your favorite things to do or places you go in the summertime?
I love to go to a spot in Toronto called Baldwin Village, it’s so cute with tons of cafes and a health food store that I love. It’s right in the heart of the city but it feels like a quiet little oasis.
I love to party in the summer cause it’s just so nice out, so whoever is throwing a party with good music to shake ass to I’m there. I love to just walk around my city and find new cafes, go to the Asian grocery stores for some fresh fruit. Oh, and ride my ebike! It feels like I’m flying, it’s so fun. Still tryna lock down somebody with a boat cause as a water sign, I need to be close to the water.
What’s next for Jordan Alexander for the remainder of 2024?
I am dropping my album on September 4th! I will also be rolling a final single in the next couple of weeks before the album drops so I will be busy with all of that, and so much that I’m sure I don’t even know about yet. Really looking forward to all the wonderful surprises the world has to offer.
TEAM CREDITS:
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Photographer: Hao Nguyen (@enginehao)
Makeup Artist: Kathy Nguyen (@recognizekat)
Wardrobe Stylist: Sakina Garcia (@sakinagarcia)
Studio: Album Studios, Mount Dennis (@album.studios)
