Yet again, I regularly cannot tell you where or when I happened upon a certain actor in the business, but I am invariably drawn to young people who have a drive and a passion for what they do. In the case of Jenna Berman, I contacted her agent well over a year ago and then promptly neglected to follow up on pursuing an interview with this young beauty. Thankfully, I was able to reconnect with her recently, and I am quite pleased to share this lovely young lady with all of my readers today.

Picture by Vivien Armour

RH: Please tell us about the modeling career in which you were involved as a child. How did you decide to become a model, and what are some of your memories of doing that?

JB: In grade five, a girl in my class said she was paid to do a photo shoot. I saw it as being paid to miss school, so the decision wasn’t hard, and I hadn’t heard of any other ways to make money as a ten-year-old. So I personally called a kid’s agency and set up a meeting. My mom indulged me and I started doing print work and TV commercials. I hated school so much that I’ve never been to five consecutive days of school in my life, and this was a perfect excuse. My dad was running out of different illnesses to reference in my sick notes. Modeling has afforded me many amazing experiences, but my favourite overall aspect of the industry is getting to travel the world.

I understand you left Cape Town as a teenager and moved to Canada. Why did this move happen?

My dad is a doctor so my family moved from South Africa to Canada for his work, and subsequently, a better life.

Seattle film festival

How did you get involved in acting?

I honestly didn’t really plan on it. I’d been living all over the place for years and was pretty burnt out. I visited BC, and it was just so beautiful and peaceful. I felt like I was in a nature rehab I didn’t know I needed, so I decided to move from Hong Kong to Vancouver with no real plans. Someone suggested I try to do some small acting roles. I always thought that something like acting was the last thing I would ever do and that my temperament was the opposite of suitable for it. I didn’t even know how to speak in an American accent, so it all seemed like a good challenge.

I believe Halo 4 was your first official job in the profession. How did that role come about, and what was your experience like filming that?

That was also my first audition, so I had no idea what I was doing. I was told I was auditioning for a web series, and only found out it was Halo after I booked it. It was pretty bizarre to get thrown right into it, but I had nothing to compare it to. Halo has a very dedicated fan base that was very welcoming.

You’ve had guest spots on iZombie and The Flash. What are your memories of being a part of those series?

My most prominent memory is talking to Amanda Pays (who plays Dr. McGee on The Flash) about her life and career. I’m sure she doesn’t remember me, but I always like talking to women who have so much experience, professionally and in life.

BTS The 100

You are currently a part of The 100 season five. What can viewers expect from your character Karina (without giving anything away)? What do you enjoy about your character on the show?

Karina’s had a really rough time and there finally seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I like that she trusts her own intuition and acts on it, as that’s always how I try to live my life.

Any other upcoming works you can mention?

I recently finished working on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, but I can’t say much about that other than it’ll be on Netflix.

I understand you are a dancer and fluent in other languages besides English. Can you tell us a little about these other skills you have (and any others you would like to mention)?

My mom’s a ballet dancer, so I started dancing when I was very little. As for languages – I learned Hebrew, English, Afrikaans and a bit of Xhosa in school. My mom is Afrikaans, and it’s common to speak a blended mix of languages in one sentence in South Africa.

Photo Credit: Atcha Kim for VGXW Magazine

As a young person in the business, how do you keep yourself grounded and away from negative influences?

To be honest, I don’t really struggle with that. Things have happened in my life that shaped my values, and I know that most things ultimately don’t matter. Fitting in doesn’t matter. What other people think doesn’t matter, so don’t betray yourself. Very few things are of genuine consequence or impact, and if you can identify those things, the rest becomes very simple.

Would you like to eventually direct/produce/write?

No, I don’t think so. I could theoretically see myself enjoying those things because I enjoy anything creative, but aside from acting, my main passion and work is photography and I don’t see my focus shifting in a major way.

When you have some downtime, what do you like to do?

I like to read, hang out with my friends/boyfriend/cats. When I have a day off, I go visit my parents. I have a sick crystal collection. I like watering my plants and lying on my living room floor in the sun, maybe eating some watermelon.

Picture by Alexander Calvert

With such a unique backstory to her life and career in addition to her indisputable talent and captivating beauty, it makes perfect sense to me that Jenna is well on her way to becoming a principal professional in the world of film and TV. Her passion has taken her all over the world, and the roles which she has been honored to portray are diverse, consequential, and striking. As a young woman in an industry where some struggle with self-identity, Jenna is secure enough in who she is to not seek to find worth outside of herself, but she also dismisses the censure of others who often manifest cruel intentions when attempting to crush the spirits of others. At her tender age, she has found a sense of peace within her own soul, and that is an attribute that, if maintained, will definitely see her through the expected and unexpected ups and downs that a career in the arts almost certain to provide.

If you have not been watching The 100, I would suggest you consider checking out the series on the CW on Tuesday nights as it is beginning to wind down its fifth season. Additionally, I would invite my readers to visit all of her links below and consider following her if so inclined. While she may not be a “household name” at this point in her life, there is no doubt in my mind that as she proceeds to hone her craft and seek out roles that challenge and inspire others as well as herself, Jenna will unquestionably advance in her quest to become one of the rising stars in the twenty-first century of the entertainment industry.

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