By Christina Bradshaw
Jaylen Barron always knew she wanted to be an entertainer. It’s no surprise then that the 20-year-old is starring in her own Netflix series, Free Rein. We chatted with Jaylen about the show, the social causes she cares about, and her college dreams. Mark your calendar: Season 3 of Free Rein will be out this summer!
Tell us about Free Rein and your character.
My character, Zoe, her mom, and her little sister, travel to the UK, and she falls in love with this mysterious horse. It’s about the trials and tribulations of being a teen horse rider in a foreign country.
I heard that you told a white lie to get on the show. Can you tell us about that?
Oh my gosh, yes! I was in the audition room and they asked, “Do you know how to ride horses?” and Iwas like, “Yes!” So then we did like a horse testing run and I get on the horse, and all I know how to do iswalk. And I was exposed. Luckily, they made our schedule so we got to practice in-between scenes, before work and after work and on the weekends. So I paid for my lie.
How would you define “horse girl energy”?
Horse girl energy is being confident, calm, and collected. ‘Confident’ so when you ride, your horse knows you’re in charge. ‘Calm’ because they can feel your energy and whether you’re nervous, so you have tobe in tune with your emotions and your nerves. And ‘collected’ meaning you’ve got everything together.
What’s the best part of being on this show?
For me, the best part is spending so much time with animals. I’m a really big animal person, and we shot on a farm. Animals are extremely therapeutic for me. If you’re having a stressful day, you can literally go pet a cow. It was within arm’s reach. It was amazing. In between scenes, this cow had just had a baby andshe was being bottle fed. It was the cutest thing ever. It’s hard for you to be stressed out.
Do you get to interact with locals in England?
One hundred percent. We were in a really small town where everybody knew everybody. And there’s an American girl there, so everyone knew I didn’t belong there. But everybody was really nice and welcoming. A cultural difference is the public life, for sure. It’ll be like 10 a.m. and people will be at the pub. And I’m like, you know what? Live your best life.
Tell me about Season 3 of Free Rein. What can viewers expect?
I feel like it’s one of the most exciting seasons yet because there’s so much craziness that’s happening andso many twists and turns and horse drama. Also, Zoe is facing problems within her own friendship -- but I can’t tell you with who! The viewers get some tea.
Did you always want to be an entertainer?
I did. When I was little, I would put on little shows and plays in my house and dress up and pretend I wason a runway. My mom never wanted me to do it, and then she was like “When you’re a teenager.” So when I turned 13, I was like “Excuse me, can I give this a try?” And she was like “You’re probably not going to be good at it.” And then I booked my first job I auditioned for. I was like “I’m ok at it!” I think it’s fun that you get to pretend to be a different person every single day of your life. You're literally playing dress-up all the time.
How do you deal with the rejection that comes with being in show business?
Honestly, I’m still working on it. If you think you’re going to get everything, you’re going to be faced with a lot of disappoint. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. But it’s hard, especially if you’ve put so much effortinto an audition, and you still don’t get it and don’t know why you didn’t get it. You face 1,000 no’s before you get one yes, and it’s takes one ‘yes’ to shoot your career up.
You’ve posted a bit on social media about civil rights. Why is it important for you to use your platform to bring attention to social justice issues?
I’m aware that I have a lot of young followers. I want them to know that someone they follow is talkingabout these issues. I did a post about Trayvon Martin. He was killed in 2012. And a lot of my followersare like “What? Why? What happened?” They’re not aware. I’m a black and Mexican woman in theUnited States of America. So, of course, I face discrimination. I think it’s important to share my opinionsso people of a different race are aware of it when they may not have been aware before. They’re like “Oh dang, that happens? That’s crazy.” My brother has gotten pulled over for no reason before. My dad is acop and has gotten pulled over for no reason, just the color of his skin. And I think it’s important for otherraces to see what minorities go through.
What does it mean to you to be a woman of color on television?
It means everything. Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of mixed women on TV. Unfortunately right now, I don’t see that many dark skinned women on TV. That makes me sad. Hopefully I’m able to become big enough where I open up a door for dark skinned women. For me, it's great that girls can see somebody that looks like them riding horses because I'd never seen a black equestrian before. What I like about Free Rein is that race is not even brought up, ever. It’s a kid’s show. This girl is just here to ride horses because she loves it. It’s not an issue on this show, and I think that’s important.
In what ways do you give back?
I’m involved in a charity called Small Acts Big Change. It’s actually run by my friend Lauren. We handout blankets; give out meals. It’s based in Los Angeles. You can volunteer at animal shelters, foster dogs,pass out lunches. This past weekend, I gave out some meals to homeless people.
Why is it important to you to participate in things like that?
Not all people are blessed with the same opportunities. You have to show gratitude to those around you. Obviously, every single person on this earth is important and human, but they may not have the sameoptions as you. You have to give back to your community in any way you can. If you’re walking down the street and a homeless person asks you for money, you can buy them a meal. That’s a small act that can make a big change in their life.
Do you have any college plans?
I’m focused on acting now, but I’m going to go to college after I do something big. But I advise everybody to go to college and stay in school! Honestly, if I'd picked an easier path than acting, I'd still be in college. I did a year of college majoring in psychology, but I stopped because it’s super hard tobalance both. I did it online. My dream college would be UCLA. They have a great psychology program. Or NYU. I like psychology because I love watching serial killer documentaries. The way their brainswork and how sensitive the human brain is, we don’t fully understand it yet.
What advice would you give to college age girls?
Worry about yourself. Don’t worry about what she’s doing or he’s doing or where they’re at. You have your own path you’re destined for. God laughs at your plans. If something doesn’t work out, you’re goingto be blessed with something bigger and better. Every door closes for a reason because another one is going to open.
Follow Jaylen on instagram: @jaylenbarron.