I first learned of the upcoming Freeform original series called Siren several months ago when I had the opportunity to interview Curtis Lum. That interview was followed closely by the enchanting Tammy Gillis. When my daughter and I sat down to enjoy the first two episodes of this series a few weeks ago, we both noticed this unique character known as “Goth Checkout Girl,” and when I chatted with Rena Owen later that week, she positively gushed about this young actress, Jaymee Mak. Immediately, I reached out to Jaymee for an interview, and thankfully, she agreed. And to say that I got so much more than I’d bargained for in Jaymee (in only the best way) is an understatement! Please enjoy our delightfully entertaining and thought-provoking chat.
Photo by Jeremy Lim
RH: I am so glad it worked out to chat with you today, Jaymee. In fact, I’m glad I found out who you were.
JM: Ruth, thanks for reaching out. I really appreciate it.
My daughter and I were watching the show Siren, and in the second episode, we noticed you in that scene. We both thought you were so good. Even though the scene was short, your character was memorable. And then when I interviewed Rena, she was the one who raved about you.
That’s so cool. I was honestly stunned on that day. I opened up my phone, and I noticed Rena had tagged me in this post with some pictures. Now, to be fair, six months ago or so–soon after we filmed that scene–I decided to follow Rena on Instagram. Then she went on this spree of liking about ten of my posts or so. And I was like, “Oh my gosh! Rena’s checking out my social media!” It was amazing because Rena was really lovely to work with. In fact, this role was technically my first professional acting job. I’d done a bunch of student films and indie things and a couple of commercials, but my role on Siren is my first on-camera role with dialogue. I went in for the day and got to improvise with Rena. After we’d finished filming, she said, “Hey, let’s take a picture!” I was like, “You’re asking me? What?!” {laughs} She asked my name, and she wrote it down. I was really surprised. We filmed this in July of last year, and now randomly nine months later, she shouts me out! I was just like, “You remember me?” I had literally been there for three hours! It was just sooo nice of her!
Well, maybe I inspired her to post those pictures since I asked her…I don’t know. But I’m sure it didn’t hurt because we talked quite a bit about you. At the end of our conversation, she was talking about posting some pictures, and I was quite happy that she did.
I was amazed! It was like four photos. It was only a small role.
Oh, but I’ve interviewed enough actors to know that while this may seem like a small role and perhaps no big deal for some, I think it was a pretty big deal, especially with it being your first official on-screen role.
You know how it goes with acting…nothing is ever really in your control, so anytime anything goes well, it’s nice to appreciate it. In fact, the person who runs the Siren fan account messaged me a video of her watching the scene and laughing. And that made my night. Because with film and television, unlike theater, you generally don’t get to experience the audience reaction. So it felt like it came full circle. It was really nice to hear her laugh.
When my daughter and I were watching the scene, she said, “That girl’s really good!” Of course, I agreed with her. But my daughter is not one to always pipe up and say that. So I think you must have impressed her.
You know, it was really funny on the day we were filming, I remember glaring at Rena in between takes, and she was like, “Save it for the scene!” {laughs}
I believe I read that you are originally from Australia.
Yes, and I don’t normally use my Australian accent. In fact, I had to relearn my Australian accent. I’ve been in Vancouver five years now. When I decided to do acting, I took a couple of dialect coaching sessions. So when I talk to myself in the shower, I use my North American accent. But I am originally from Melbourne, Australia.
So what brought you to Vancouver?
Well, I originally moved over here because I got a scholarship to study game design at Vancouver Film School. So I did that for a year and started working immediately in the video gaming industry. So my current day job is in video games. And it’s really handy because at the start of this year, I booked a non-union sitcom pilot as one of the leads, and my character is a professional streamer. So if I’d never taken that detour into video games, I wouldn’t have booked that role.
That’s a really neat tie-in. Thinking of your character on Siren, you could almost see her as some sort of gamer.
Yeah, right! So the casting director for Siren, Tiffany Mak, is based in Vancouver. I actually did one of her casting workshops earlier in the year. I was in the workshop, and the scene she gave me to do was one of Maddie’s scenes from Siren. She was telling us about the audition process for Maddie, so I got a little sense of what she was looking for when she was casting Siren.
A few months later, I actually initially auditioned for the role of Donna. Generally, the way I approach auditions is I just want to make some big, bold choice. So I remember spending several hours researching dolphin noises as I was preparing for the audition. In the audition for Donna, I had to scream a couple times. So I committed to making this horrendous, dolphin-like scream as if in pain, and my only goal was to get a reaction out of Tiffany and the other people in the room. Obviously, I didn’t get put in that role, but I think I succeeded at my goal of just showing that I’m willing to do weird things when auditioning to get in character. So it was really cool coming back later to audition for Goth Checkout Girl. It was great because it was surprisingly improvisational. Even in the audition, I was just supposed to pretend like I was selling fish to someone and I’m super unimpressed. And anytime you’re in the audition room and make people laugh, while I care about getting the role ultimately, I can feel good about the fact that I made someone laugh today and did my job right. If I don’t book the role, I don’t need to feel bad because I have no control over that.
I have to tell you that Siren is stupendous. My daughter and I have both been very impressed, and it has exceeded our expectations. She cannot stop talking about the special effects in the show. The mermaid transformation is unbelievable. And to see such a different take on mermaids is really astonishing.
It’s funny, when it comes to fantastical creatures, with a lot of other things, we are oversaturated. We’ve seen a million and one zombie shows, and we probably don’t need another zombie show. But there’s really nothing when it comes to mermaids. And especially not something as dramatic as Siren.
I am so glad that you got to be a part of this show, Jaymee. So I notice that you also study with someone I happen to know–Aaron Craven.
Photo by Jeremy Lim
Yeah, that’s right. I took one of his courses last year. My approach is to study a little bit with a lot of different people and choose the process that works for me, depending on the audition or the job. I don’t feel like there’s one right way ever when it comes to acting. Speaking of Aaron, one of the things I like about the way he structures his classes is it’s two weeks of on-camera audition technique and then two weeks of scene study. So you get the best of both worlds with him. When I was first starting out, I used to devote most of my time to learning how to audition, but when I booked this non-union pilot in January, all of a sudden, I was creating this character from scratch who had to carry the show. I had spent all this time learning how to audition instead of actually doing the work of acting. I was freaking out at first, and of course, I got there in the end. But knowing how to act for an audition is very different from acting on set and understanding all the terminology and how to build that character for the long run versus just for the audition.
So this pilot you mentioned…is this something that is eventually going to be a series?
That’s been another stage of my learning process. A lot of being an actor is playing the waiting game, so right now we’re waiting to hear if it’s going to be greenlit and go to series. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t exist until it’s in my lap. So in the meantime, I focus my energy on working on my own project. Right now, I’m writing a short film about one of my past relationships. It’s about a couple where one of them is asexual, but they haven’t fully realized it yet. They’re kind of coming to terms with what that might mean for their relationship.
I’ve really been finding that I want to understand the other disciplines in the industry. I feel like that will better inform me as an actor. And particularly when it comes to writing, I feel like as an actor, I focus so heavily on understanding my character’s thoughts and feelings, but as a writer, I’m forced to do all that for every character in the scene. I truly have to understand the motivations of every character in the scene. So when it comes to writing a personal project, especially about an old relationship, it’s a powerful form of therapy in the sense that I can’t just play the victim and have the other person be the antagonist. They have their own reasons for doing things, and I have to fully understand why they thought they were doing the right thing at the time. It’s been very helpful to have those realizations.
I think it’s great and very smart when actors, especially young actors, focus on more than just acting. I think it’s fabulous to branch out, and it can only help make you a better actor. Ultimately, I think it makes you more marketable too.
One of the things I love about acting is like when I was kid, everything that made me weird was kind of something to be made fun of. But as an adult, everything that makes me different is why I succeed. When you’re the same as everyone else, it’s really hard for your agent to market you. There’s a million just like you out there. But it’s nice to realize and appreciate what makes me different.
I fully understand what you said. Believe it or not, it was the same way for me. While I’m not an actress, I was one who never fit in, no matter how hard I tried. And now that I do these interviews, I will read some other interviews online and think, “Wow, these are just carbon copies.” Sometimes I am so bored, I can’t finish these other interviews. But now that I capitalize on what is unique about me, I am actually enjoying some success. I know some interviewers only reach out to the lead and big-time actors, but I absolutely love reaching out to actors like you, Jaymee, who are just at the beginning of their career.
I think it’s really cool that you reach out to the actors that are not as well-known. After all, if you follow their careers, I’m sure in a couple years or so, you are able to see their growth, and you can have that unique perspective of knowing them before and now.
And that does happen regularly. I love seeing the people I interview succeed. And now that means I’ll be watching you, Jaymee, and hoping for your big break.
That’s so nice of you, Ruth.
So I’m curious. Have you had any interactions with the fans of Siren?
Yes, purely through my Instagram account and Rena’s shoutout. I was literally on-screen for thirty seconds, and I wasn’t expecting anything. So to get that kind of positive feedback is really encouraging. And after that, I was daydreaming about if my pilot got greenlit, what that kind of interaction would be like. I can hardly imagine.
Jaymee, I hope that good things really do come your way and that your pilot goes forward. You so deserve it. I’ve interviewed enough people in this business to see that you are grounded and have that special quality about you that really shines on-screen. And you also seem to know what the right steps are for you to take in your career. Sometimes young people really struggle to know what to do when they’re first starting out, and they’re very impatient.
Thank you, Ruth. I’m so glad I have the day job that I do. It’s a stable job, but very flexible. For example, I told my bosses that I might have to take three to six months off to film if the pilot is greenlit, and they were like, “That’s cool.” I’m just so freakin’ lucky! They support me in my acting career, and that fact makes me super loyal to them. So it’s this great cycle of us supporting each other. Before I landed this job, I was like, “Oh, yeah, I have to have a well-paying job with transferable skills that would allow me to take auditions.” My friend was like, “You can’t always get what you want in life.” But I always want to have my cake and eat it too.
Your job sounds amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who has a job that flexible.
I think that flexible jobs are something that is vital in today’s society. Even when it comes to addressing something like the gender pay gap. While culture norms are shifting, a lot of it can still fall down. When a woman has a child, it’s difficult for her to balance that. But if she’s able to make her own hours, she’ll fall less behind her peers in the workplace. And I think that’s going to be really important for finally making waves on that.
And speaking of women in today’s culture and specifically in this business, there are a lot of women who still think in order to get ahead, they feel they have to accept jobs that they are not comfortable with. The reason I decided to sign with my agent is that she asked me specifically what jobs I would not be comfortable booking. So it made me think. I am a vegetarian, so I wouldn’t eat meat. And I also said I was not comfortable doing “below the belt” stuff. Unless they want me to be a lead on the next Game of Thrones. {laughs} But there’s often a lot of pressure for women to say “yes” to jobs that they’re not really comfortable with because it will be their “big break.” That is something I don’t intend to do, and I hope that things change in our culture enough so that women don’t feel like they have to do those kinds of roles if they don’t want to.
Photo by Jeremy Lim
In fact, in Vancouver, there’s a group called Women in Film and Television. They recently started up a sexual harassment advocacy committee. They said that while all the awareness from the “Me Too” movement has been great, ultimately there’s not gonna be any progress until we have more women and minorities in positions of power. And unfortunately, I realized that is true. I’ve been in situations where something will happen like a sexist comment, and I’ll just leave it because I don’t want to be seen as a troublemaker. But if there’s somebody who I feel might intuitively be on my side, who might be able to firsthand empathize with my stance, I might be more likely to bring it up. So when I encounter that kind of stuff, I’ve started to bring it up more often. One of my motivations in all my careers is that I can gain more skills so that I feel I can be in a position where I can help other people. It’s something that’s just gonna take time.
On the plus side, it’s interesting for me as an Asian actor because I often feel like I’m in a golden age for myself that I’m lucky enough that I get to go out for a large number of auditions. But part of that is because I fit this unique niche. But it’s nice to go to a bunch of auditions where the breakdown says “open ethnicity.” And there are a lot more roles written specifically for Asians. And I say golden age because I feel like the number of roles for Asian actors is higher than the number of Asian actors that are available. While that will probably change in the near future, I am loving and enjoying it now. Of course, my specific brand that probably started the day that I was born is “edgy Asian,” to quote my agent.
While I don’t always go out for auditions for doctors, there was the time I did audition for the show The Good Doctor. When that audition came up, I actually called up my friend who is a neurosurgeon and borrowed her scrubs and stethoscope. She told me how to put everything on properly and all that, so mostly my audition was just fun for me, and I learned something along the way.
Jaymee, I love that you actually seem to enjoy your auditions. Many actors I talk to dread auditions.
Well, I know that not all auditions are going to be fun, but I try my best to make the process as painless as possible. While it’s important to know your lines, the number one thing you should show them is that you can present a strong character choice because that’s what they’re looking for. Lines can always be memorized, but it’s really hard for them to create a character from scratch. If you get the lines the night before, you can’t bring a fully fleshed out character to them. All you can really do is bring yourself or a version of yourself. Part of acting is just understanding who you are as a person, which is sometimes a painful exercise to go through.
I am so glad I got the chance to chat with you today, Jaymee. And I’m really glad that I got to know a little more about you.
Likewise. Thank you for sharing this experience with me. Who would have known that one little improvised scene would start a chain reaction? Thank you so much for reaching out, and I’ll certainly keep everyone posted, especially if my pilot is greenlit!
Jaymee is undoubtedly one of the most singular individuals I have ever interviewed. All too often, when I converse with actors who are just establishing their career, they have very little to say. Rarely do they have a profound grasp of the industry, and most of the time, they focus on the roles they have performed and the people with whom they have shared the screen. Conversely, Jaymee is humble, observant, pragmatic, and compassionate. Moreover, she possesses a strong work ethic, but at the same time, she is eager to throw caution to the wind while not taking herself too seriously. She is constantly challenging herself in all her various career aspirations, and her acting profession is one massive adventure about which she is fiercely passionate. To speak with her momentarily is to witness her sincere, abiding enthusiasm for the arts, and I am immensely grateful to every person who had a hand in connecting me with such a delightful artist.
If you have not been watching Siren on Freeform Thursday nights, I invite you to catch up on Freeform or Hulu, and then tune in next Thursday (and following) until the end of the season. Moreover, if you need to, watch and/or rewatch episode two so that you can witness the hilarious, perfectly-timed scene between Helen and Goth Checkout Girl, I promise you will not regret that decision! Furthermore, be sure that you visit all of Jaymee’s links below and keep an eagle eye out for any upcoming announcements from this ambitious actress. While Jaymee is still at the virtual inception of her acting career, I am wholly exhilarated to see the new possibilities that I am certain will be heading her way in the near future. I can say with undeniable conviction that of any young actor whom I have interviewed recently, Jaymee is one actress that has fashioned an indelible imprint on my mind and heart, and I greatly anticipate all the novel opportunities that will be headed her way in each aspect of her life and career.
FOLLOW JAYMEE
