Check out our interview with author, actress, producer, and writer Jaime Andrews, who recently released her deeply personal memoir, The Brink: A Memoir, which chronicles sensitive topics from her troubled adolescence through humor. The book details her harrowing experiences with depression, drugs, and institutionalization. Written over 20 years ago when Andrews first moved to Los Angeles, she hopes readers can learn from her mistakes and use lessons from the book to turn their lives around for the better. It is available now on Amazon.
She has also established herself as a multi-hyphenate in the entertainment industry. Most recently, Andrews wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning film Division. The plot centers on an actress who develops a strong bond with a fan during the pandemic and succumbs to his attention only to learn that their political views are diametrically opposed. Andrews’ performance earned her the Best Actress award at The Lady Filmmakers Festival. She also showcased her comedic chops during her five-year run on the truTV series World’s Dumbest. Other credits include Good Girls Revolt as well as guest roles on Chicago Fire, Crash & Bernstein and Heels, just to name a few.
Follow Jaime @jmendrews
Hi Jaime, please tell us a little about yourself.
Hi there! Well, I’m an actress, writer and producer who grew up in New York, spent a while in LA, and now lives in Atlanta. Most people know me from TruTV’s show, World’s Dumbest, but I’ve done lots of commercials, film and television over the years. Last year, I put out my first film and first book, Division and The Brink, respectively, and I love travel, horseback riding, yoga, dancing and adventures, in general.
Describe yourself in three words.
Ebullient, effervescent and earnest. And that’s just the e’s.
How did you get started in acting?
Professionally, it started slowly with theater, commercial print modeling, then commercials and television. But my passion started very young. I was always the lead in the school plays and started doing children’s theatre in junior high. There’s never been anything else I wanted to be.
How has this changed your life?
Well, it’s certainly been an interesting ride! I’m very lucky that, for the most part, I’ve gotten to live my life as I dreamed that I would. I think life rewards you when you strive for something beyond the ordinary. But I can’t really say how it’s changed my life because I don’t know what it would have been otherwise!
What is the best and worst part of being an actress and producer?
The best part is being able to create something that entertains and, hopefully, moves people. I love working with a group of people toward a common creative purpose. But that’s also the worst part, because, for the most part, you need that group of people to make it happen. Often, as an actress or producer, your work is contingent upon whether you get cast, or if you get funding. Like Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.
How do you prepare for a role?
When I get a role, I start trying to answer questions about that character’s life, and get into their headspace. I’ll research their occupation or passions and imagine myself in their circumstances. All of that makes the character overcome me, like a trance. I don’t know how it works, honestly, it’s kind of magic.
Tell us about your work in the award-winning film “Division?”
Talk about being in a trance, that’s basically how Division happened! I was so distressed by the pandemic and the run-up to the election of 2020. That inspired this story, based partly on my life, of an actress connecting with a fan online, only to find they have differing politics. I wrote it very quickly, and just as quickly found a team who believed in it as much as I did. We were really driven to make it happen as soon as possible, because of how timely it is. I didn’t know that I could write, produce and star in a feature film, but the reception for it has been really great. I’m so proud of it.
And tell us about winning the Best Actress award at The Lady Filmmakers Festival? That’s amazing!
It WAS amazing! I certainly was not expecting it. Division actually won four awards at that festival, and it was really overwhelming and gratifying. I put it all on the line with this film, and to have it honored in this way, it was honestly the thrill of my life. So far, anyway.
What other projects have you been part of?
Oh gosh, where to start? I guess highlights would be doing a play at the Edinburgh Film Festival, spending 2 months in Alaska making the Baby Geniuses movies (ok, that project itself wasn’t great, but being in Alaska was!), being a part of Amazon’s Good Girls Revolt, which caused this big online uproar when it got canceled, and doing over 3 dozen commercials. I love the work I’ve gotten to do since getting to Atlanta too, like the movie Greenland and the shows Heels and Chicago Fire. I’ve been pretty lucky.
What kind of roles do you like or would like to play, and why?
Like most actors, I love a complicated character, because it’s more of a challenge. I also love a character who is really emotional or wacky, because there’s a lot to sink your teeth into and you can really let loose. It can be difficult, but it’s really satisfying to exorcise those demons.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
There is nothing like the feeling of knowing that you did a good job. It really is a kind of high. It’s nice to have your work recognized by others, but believing in yourself and that you did your best is very gratifying.
What’s your advice for the newer actors?
Steel yourself for the disappointments, because there will be many. Don’t hinge your life on any job or audition, because there will be many of those too, and you won’t get all of them. You’ll get the jobs that are right for you. Find things that keep you satisfied outside of the business, because that’s the only thing that will keep you sane.
What would you say are the greatest lessons you have learned so far in this business?
Some people might disagree with this, but I’ve always said the best thing I learned was to just shut up and do the work. Nobody on set has time or cares about your complaints or issues. Don’t know your motivation in a scene? That’s your job to figure out. I think some actors think asking questions or challenging the director makes them look strong and smart, but, when you’re just starting out, it just wastes time and makes you seem difficult.
Now about your new book. What inspired you to write this The Brink: a Memoir book, and what motivates you generally as an author?
I wrote The Brink because I thought it was a book that could help people. If people could see how much I went through and was able to overcome, then it could maybe give them hope in their own struggles. And my teenage years were so dramatic, I knew it made for a good story.
Could you describe your writing process? How do you approach the development of your characters, plot, and setting?
I had an acting teacher say he sensed “a neurotic process,” and I think that’s true with my writing as well. I will stew on ideas in my head for a while, formulating the story, and then the stars have to align for me to sit down and just word-vomit it all out. Everything I’ve written, I wrote very quickly. While you can go back and edit, I think it’s best to write from your stream of consciousness. So far, I’ve only written stories based on real people and events, so developing those characters came from my understanding of them, or how I imagine them to be. With my latest screenplay, I knew only the ending, so I wrote an outline of the steps to get to that point and filled it in based on that.
What are the central themes or messages in your book? How do you hope they resonate with your readers?
I think the central tenet of The Brink is what can happen when you make the wrong choices, and how you can overcome having done so. I hope that people reading it will have a greater compassion for people they meet in their everyday lives, because you never know what someone has been through.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while writing this book, and what do you consider your greatest achievement with its completion?
The biggest challenge was the feeling of vulnerability from sharing these very personal stories. I was also worried about how some people represented in the book would feel about it. There were several times I considered just holding on to it. So, I think my greatest achievement is that I overcame these fears and decided to put it out there. Luckily, people really seem to love it.
Where can we buy it?
You can get The Brink wherever you buy books! It’s available in paperback, eBook and in an audiobook that I read myself (I think that one’s the most fun.) But you know, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible…all the usual suspects.
How would your best friend describe you?
I think she would say I’m pretty awesome, because I think she is also awesome. We’re very supportive of each other. It’s quite lovely.
If you were a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
I think my overarching theme in life, and therefore title would be, “What Next?” I’ve really just had this incredible adventure in life, and I am always surprised by what occurs. I’m kind of just a shiny silver ball in the pinball machine of life.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
I loved Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights. While it’s definitely the story of someone who’s led a very charmed life, it’s his attitude and openness in that life that make it a very inspiring book.
What’s next for Jaime Andrews in 2024?
I’m so excited for what’s next! But like my imaginary book title, I’m not sure what that is. Right now I’m co-hosting The Daniel Baldwin Show podcast, and that’s very fun, but I’m also looking to produce my latest screenplay, Hardcore, which is a really shocking true story – and not about me, for once! I also have a couple of short films I want to make, and I’m excited that the strike is over and hope to get back to some juicy acting work soon.
What is your own definition of happiness?
I think happiness is love and connection. I’m so lucky to have the love of my husband, friends and family. Being good to them is what makes me most happy. Also, getting to live your life on your own terms, that brings me a lot of joy.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I’d like to meet Dorothy Parker. I love her writing and her wit, I bet she’d be pretty fun to spend an evening with. It would also be great to tell her how far women have come in the last hundred years. We’re not all the way there, but it’s certainly better.
Best advice ever given?
“Don’t do anything wrong.” I was like 11 years old and an older guy in a train station said that to me and my friend. It’s broad as hell and I certainly didn’t listen to it, but it’s pretty good advice.
Do you support any charities?
I work with Stand Up for Kids here in Atlanta, mentoring at-risk youth. It’s been a really powerful experience. Monetarily, though, I support reproductive rights charities, the ACLU and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, because I lost my sister to leukemia when she was 30, and they were a huge help during her care.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?
Gosh, I’d love to be writing, producing and performing on a greater scale. Hopefully, by then, I will have made 2 more features, gotten out the sequel to The Brink (called Further), and be working on a series that I created. I assume that I will continue to love my husband and grow as a human. That’s the good stuff.
Favorite song? Why?
For the last couple of years, my favorite song has been “Truth,” by Alex Ebert. It is so haunting, deep and dark, but I find it so thrilling and true. I honestly listen to it over and over again.
What do you think of social media?
I think it is a necessary evil. I admire people that don’t use it, but I am so glad I get to stay in contact with so many people from different phases of my life. As an artist who wants to promote their projects, it can feel pretty obnoxious but, like I said, necessary evil.
Where can we follow you?
You can follow me on IG, TikTok & X : @jmendrews FB: @jaimeandrewsonyourtv and my website www.jaimeandrews.com
Book: The Idiot by Dostoevsky, I had a dog named after the protagonist. He’s in Division (the dog, not the protagonist.)
Quote: It’s something like, “At the pearly gates, you will be confronted by your unwritten poetry.” I can’t find this quote anywhere, and don’t know who said it, but I heard it once and find it beautiful and terrifying.
Movie: I think it’s Frank, starring Michael Fassbender. It has so much to say about being an artist, and it’s silly and wonderful.
TV Series: I’ve said Breaking Bad for a while, but it’s tough, there’s so much good stuff out there!
Favorite Food: Have you ever had arepas? They’re Venezuelan corn patties stuffed with all kinds of goodness. Maybe the perfect food.
Travel Destination: I’m going to say Thailand, because it’s so cheap, the food is great and it has everything you could want in a vacation. It has the mountains in the north and tropical islands in the south. I went when I was very young and would love to go back.
Sports Team: Oh boy, I am not into sports at all. Sorry, I’m at a loss there. But I definitely always root for the underdog.
