Jaylen Barron
Free Rein (Netflix)
Growing up in Southern California, Jaylen Barron knew from a young age she wanted to be an actress. As part of a multicultural family, she took great pride in her African American and Latina heritage. She was dismayed to find very few actors that looked like her onscreen. Driven by a desire to make a change, Barron decided that she wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Noticing her passion to reach her goal, her mom took her to get headshots and she soon landed her first job as a model for the girls clothing brand Justice. While making her mark in the world of modeling, she continued to pursue her dream of acting in hopes of emulating her childhood role models like Halle Berry.
Barron’s first foray on the small screen came when she was cast as Melanie on Disney’s Shake It Up. Shortly after, she recurred on Nickelodeon’s See Dad Run as Emily’s best friend Mary, as well as Good Luck Charlie as Lauren Dabney, the love interest of Gabe Duncan. Other memorable appearances include guest spots on Bones and Those Who Can’t. Though these were some of her very first performances, her talent did not go unnoticed and earned her four Young Artist Awards nominations.
Her big break came when she landed a heavily recurring role on Showtime’s Emmy-winning drama series Shameless. Barron portrayed Dominique, the girlfriend of Ethan Cutkosky’s character, Carl. Dominique is a good girl with bad girl tendencies that goes on a downward spiral. She shared the screen with the all-star cast including William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, and Steve Howey.
Barron continues to take Hollywood by storm. She can be seen as the lead on the award winning Netflix series Free Rein. She stars as Zoe, a 15-year-old from Los Angeles who spends the summer at her mom’s childhood home on an island off the coast of England. After befriending a mysterious horse during the summer, she finds the strength to deal with issues she faces. Her character is the only black female on the equestrian team, making her the first American person of color to play the lead in a Netflix Children’s original series. The hit series has won two Daytime Emmys, including one for Outstanding Children’s Series, and earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Children’s Program.
She is also showcasing her talent behind the camera in the world of voiceover. She can currently be heard in Go90’s animated short series Explosion Jones alongside Danny Trejo, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Carl Weathers, and James Hong. In addition, she has another leading voice role that should be announced publicly soon.
Aside from acting, Barron is expanding her repertoire as an entrepreneur. She recently launched her own lash line, Boujaye Lashes, which consists of vegan and cruelty-free lashes.
When she is not busy, Barron enjoys cooking, watching documentaries and most importantly, spending time with her family. She also loves working out by spending time in the gym or outdoors. Barron loves fashion and prides herself on keeping up with the latest styles and trends. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area with her beloved dogs, Bugsy and Powder.
photo: @photogduck
styling: @marniseabright
make-up: @trifectabeautyllc
