Rising Stars: Meet Kayla Jackson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Jackson.

Hi Kayla, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
A brief rundown of my background. I actually did not have any prior acting experience before becoming a voice actor. I wasn’t in theater or radio or anything of the sort. I was in music for over a decade… marching and concert bands, show choir, piano, etc. I went to college for a year to study music education before deciding it was no longer my chosen career path. Undecided about what I wanted to “be when I grew up,” I started working as a GameStop store manager which I did for six years. I’ve been a gamer and avid cartoon/anime watcher since I was very small so I fit right into that environment and got to share my passion for gaming with shoppers of all ages and walks of life. Around 2016/2017 I got really into playing Dungeons & Dragons. I started playing at home with friends and DMing Adventure Leagues on Friday nights. I got really into watching Critical Role, and one day it just dawned on me that I genuinely and wholeheartedly wanted to pursue a career as a voice actor.

I found a coach, started taking private training, attended workshops, acting classes, and conferences, studied marketing and the business side of our industry, etc. In 2018 I was traveling for a GameStop conference when I booked my first voiceover job. Luckily I had packed my recording equipment, and I snuck away during the conference (shh don’t tell my old boss LOL) to set up a makeshift blanket fort in my hotel room. After that, I recorded my first voiceover demo, booked some more jobs, and in January 2020 I quit my job at GameStop to pursue voice acting full-time. Three months later, as we all know, the world shut down, which indeed proposed a lot of challenges in growing my career, however, I was determined not to let that stop me. I signed on with my first agent, started working part-time as a virtual assistant to another voice actor/demo producer, was able to travel for work, and continued growing my education and my talents.

This brings us to current times, here in 2022. I’m currently following my dreams of working further in voice acting for video games and anime, really owning my authenticity and creating a brand that truly represents who I am as a human and as an actor, and never letting struggles or hardships keep me from building the life I want to live and provide for my family.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I touched on this briefly in the earlier question but some of the challenges:

– Being a mom while trying to start a career.
– The pandemic changed the landscape of our industry; there was no going into studios or conferences to network at, and we all had to adapt and learn how to set up spaces and record from home; it also affected the types of jobs voice actors were being hired for.
– As it is with starting up any business, there were quite a large amount of time and financial investments required, all while rent, cost of living, etc was skyrocketing.
– We moved twice in 2021 so I had to rebuild my recording space multiple times in order to make things work.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
– Many people know me for my bright personality. I’ve been called “badass human sunshine” on several occasions.
– I’m a self-proclaimed nerd.. anime, video games, Pokemon cards, Star Wars, you name it. These are also the genres I love to work in most.
– I had platinum blonde hair for many years and was deemed “Khaleesi” or “Mother of Dragons” although I have changed up my hair color in the past few months.
– I am most proud of my resilience in times of hardship and the growth I’ve had as a person and as a voice actor in the past 5-10 years.
– I love to put smiles on faces. Whether that be by making them laugh with jokes, surprising them with a gift, or sharing a coffee together, anyway I can. It brings me pure joy to make other people happy.

Any big plans?
I have a bucket list. I’d love to get to a place in my career where I can move myself and my family out west. Maybe not LA, but possibly California or the PNW.

No set in stone ideas for that though. Working in video games and anime is my passion and I’m making strides there.

The day I’m invited to be a guest at a Comic Con is how I’ll know I’ve made it (LOL!) My ultimate dream is to visit Japan someday and I look forward to being able to mark that one off.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kaylajacksonvo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylajacksonvoiceactor/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kaylajacksonvoiceactor?lang=en