When eighth grader Jordyn Curet heads to the set of Home Economics her hit ABC show she is clearly in her happy place.
A hard-working actress, student, and caring young lady, she believes in prioritizing education while working long hours. She is also fiercely proud of giving back to others and started her own nonprofit, Jordyn’s Joys, which has spread joy to underprivileged children with events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
She started working at the tender age of two and had recurring roles on the CBS show The Neighborhood and Disney Channel’s Raven’s Home. She also had a supporting role in the movie, Marriage Story. She produced her first song Lift Me Up in 2019.
She also won a 2018 Young Entertainer Award for her guest-starring role on Disney’s show Bizaardvark.
This family-friendly show is a look at the heartwarming, yet super uncomfortable and sometimes frustrating relationship between three adult siblings: one in the 1 percent, one middle-class, and one barely holding on.
In the popular prime-time comedy, Jordyn portrays the role of Shamiah, and the cast is currently working on the third season. The best part for this young actress is working with Topher Grace, Caitlin McGee, Sasheer Zamata, and other cast members.
“They are all so amazing. I look up to them every day that we are on the set,” Jordyn exclusively tells Monsters and Critics. “We have a funny friendship. They tell me jokes every day on set and it makes me laugh so much.”
Read on for Jordyn Curet’s inside look at Home Economics, why she appreciates her family’s support, and what being a role model means to her.
Monsters and Critics: Let’s talk about your overall career and Home Economics and the future and all sorts of stuff. Why did you decide to pursue acting and why at such a young age?
Jordyn Curet: I’ve always had a passion for acting ever since I was little. I started out with small theater shows in my town and eventually, I realized that I really wanted to be an actress like everyone I’ve seen on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. My parents were very supportive of that, so at around seven I moved to Los Angeles and I booked a few gigs, which was amazing. It led me to where I am now.
M&C: How overwhelming was it to audition at seven years old?
Jordyn Curet: I feel like at seven it’s hard to deal with rejection because you’re not quite used to that feeling. But I’ve learned to handle rejection really well because when auditioning you’re sometimes not always going to be perfect for the role. I feel like I’ve learned a lot to deal with rejection, but it was definitely a little stressful for me at a young age.
M&C: How do you see your character? Are there any similarities or big differences?
Jordyn Curet: Yeah, I play Shamiah and she’s super sweet. I love the fact that she loves her family and also in a few later episodes in Home Economics Season 2 there’s this episode where she’s starting to grow a little bit away from her parents. That’s totally normal for a teenager. I think that’s a similarity that I see. She wants to be a little bit more independent, which I think is totally relatable.
M&C: If I had told you a few years ago that you would be on Home Economics and how your career would have taken off what would you have said to me?
Jordyn Curet: I would have said, “What?” Because I honestly didn’t expect to be here at such a young age. I’m very grateful, though, but that would be like my dream thing when I was younger. I would definitely be panicking and freaking out.
M&C: If somebody wants to do what you’re doing, now that you’re seasoned what advice would you give the child or teen or parent or all of them?
Jordyn Curet: I would say make sure you know that you have a passion for acting. Because without passion it’s hard to get through the whole process. Acting is a lot of work, but I also feel like if you have a passion for it it’ll feel like it’s a dream come true. That’s what you really want.
M&C: What is your career plan?
Jordyn Curet: I want to continue doing acting. I hope to be in a drama one day, which is my dream role. But for now, I’m just staying series regular on Home Economics.
Do you have a career plan? TV? Movies? Stage? Everything?
Jordyn Curet: Everything. Honestly, I hope to be in a drama one day. But for now, I’m just staying series regular on Home Economics. Wherever I go I just hope that I continue pursuing acting.
What does that mean to you to have fans who see you as a role model?
Jordyn Curet: I’m very grateful to have people who see me as a role model. I’m very grateful that I even get to take the title of a role model to somebody. I feel that as long as I’m making a difference by trying to be a leader. I have a nonprofit called Jordyn’s Joy and I give back to people. We do toy drives and it’s truly something that I want to spread across the world because it’s important to give back to people who don’t get as much.
M&C: What is it like juggling school, friendships, and the rigorous schedule of a TV show? What helps you be able to do all of that?
Jordyn Curet: I always go to my family for advice or I just hang out with my friends sometimes. I always take mental health breaks when needed. My mom and dad are always telling me that school is very important and that if you need a break, you can tell us, and if you just want to take a break from acting that’s totally fine, just let us know.
I still have such a big passion for acting I just can’t see it out of my life. So, I’ve learned to manage to deal with school and acting. I have set teachers on set and that’s really helpful because I have pretty good set teachers. I found one that I really like and she’s very helpful. We go through my work every day and we get it done and maybe even some extra work, too.
M&C: How many hours do you have school on the set?
Jordyn Curet: Three hours, but sometimes we have to bank, which means that we have to add some hours in case we’re working longer and we can’t get the three hours done. Usually, if I’m banking, around four hours.
M&C: Do you have a special subject you like better than the others?
Jordyn Curet: Yes, I love math. I was doing pre-algebra this year and then I’m going to do algebra next year so I’m excited.
M&C: What have you learned about yourself and the profession since you started?
Jordyn Curet: I’ve learned a lot about myself. After the second season, I really needed to take a huge mental health break. After a lot of work sometimes you just need a vacation. I reflected a bit and I honestly realized how much acting has impacted me. I’ve always loved acting but later I realized what an impact it made on others.
I saw this girl and she commented the sweetest thing ever on one of my TikToks. I was bawling my eyes out because I was like, wow, I didn’t realize that people actually felt that way about me. I wouldn’t think about it like that usually, but I felt really grateful that someone felt that about me. I felt honored.
M&C: Besides hanging with friends and family, how do you spend your free time?
Jordyn Curet: I love music. I sing a bit and I’m actually working on another single, but I’ve always loved singing and playing instruments. I play the ukulele right now and I’ve been playing it for about four years. I think that I want to continue playing the ukulele. I’m also learning a bit of guitar right now, but that’s a bit difficult for me.
M&C: Are you watching any streaming shows?
Jordyn Curet: Yeah, I just watched the Amazon Prime Video seriesThe Summer I Turned Pretty and I am obsessed with that show. I absolutely loved it so much.
M&C: Do you think you could have done all of this without your mom?
Jordyn Curet: No, I feel like I would probably be back at my own house and I probably would not be acting. If my mom wasn’t as supportive as she is I feel like I probably would not be where I am. But I am very grateful to have such amazing parents who are supportive. They adjusted a lot for me, which is absolutely crazy but I very much appreciate them and I love them.
M&C: Where did you live before LA?
Jordyn Curet: I lived in San Jose and San Francisco. But I was just a theater girl, I loved theater. But I also loved acting. I would watch the Disney Channel it every day. I started to fall in love with acting from the show, Dog with a Blog. I thought that girl, the one with the red hair, was super pretty. But she was a little kid acting and I knew that I want to act so badly. I finally told my parents, “I need to act, I need to go.” My mom and I would drive out to Los Angeles for an audition.
M&C: Are you still modeling?
Jordyn Curet: Yes, I am. I do some photo shoots here and there. I like the fact that you get to take more photos. I feel like it’s fun, I like doing photo shoots, I like getting to pose, I like getting to take photos, I like it.
M&C: Is there a movie or book or anything that’s made a major impression in the last few months or so?
Jordyn Curet: Wonder Woman made a big impression on me because that one was amazing. I feel like that one was very much of a girl power movie. I always adore Wonder Woman. I have a bunch of merch from Wonder Woman in my room. I feel like that one was really empowering and I loved the entire movie. When I got home, I was like trying to become my own superhero at midnight. But that didn’t work out. I very much adored that movie and I think that that whole entire franchise is very amazing. I loved it.
For more ABC prime-time comedy, check out Interview: Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph on how the legendary Sidney Poitier enriched her life and career
Home Economics, a primetime comedy, airs on ABC on Wednesday nights.