Juan Ayala is an Latin-American actor known for his wide range of characters both onstage and onscreen. Born and raised in Connecticut. In 2016, Juan pursued work in television, film and commercials, going on to book several spots for brands like Sprint, Blink Fitness and the Manhattan Theatre Club’s production of ‘Prince of Broadway’. His network television credits include the ABC drama ‘For Life’ and a three-season spanning role on the FBI thriller ‘Blindspot’ as Agent Woods. In addition to acting, Juan is also the Producer & Host of ‘Actors With Issues’, a weekly podcast where he interviews rising stars from TV, Film and Broadway, providing insight into the entertainment industry from the ground level.
FMM: When did you know that acting was your passion?
My love of performing started rather early first through music and singing, which led to performing in my first musical at age 12 when I got the lead in a school production of Seussical, a musical based on the classic stories by Dr. Seuss. I loved getting to sing and act and dance all at the same time. I made the decision to pursue acting as a profession when I was starting to apply for colleges. I eventually went on to major in Theater Arts at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, CT. It was a great program and I will always cherish that experience. In some other universe, I became a lawyer, or pursued my other love of cooking and opened a restaurant. But today, here and now, I’m an actor.
FMM: You are well-known for a wide range of characters both onstage and onscreen. Share your favorite roles.
Some of my favorite roles have been theatrical roles, because you really get to delve into characters and flesh them out during the rehearsal process. One of my favorites was actually a dual role in the musical based on Charles Dickens’ famously unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood where I played a British actor named Victor Grinstead who was playing the character Neville Landless, a prince from Ceylon. What I especially loved about the show is that there is a different ending every performance! Since Dickens never finished the novel, the audience votes on who they think killed Edwin Drood and it was equally terrifying and thrilling to find out you were voted as the murderer. You’d have 10 minutes to review the lyrics to your confession song!
FMM: Tell us about the ABC drama ‘For Life.’
For Life is an ABC legal drama, currently in its second season, that I was fortunate enough to work on just after the new year. I’d booked it a few days before the show went on its holiday hiatus mid-December, it was such a nice little Christmas present! Due to COVID-19, I hadn’t been on a professional set in nearly a year and to get to be back, especially seeing how differently sets are operating under COVID-19 protocols, was a rather surreal experience but a good one with such a talented cast and great crew.
FMM: You were on three seasons of FBI thriller ‘Blindspot’ as Agent Woods. What did you enjoy most?
I loved working with that cast. Some of the loveliest and funniest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. On one particular day of shooting, one of my last episodes of season 5, pretty much all of the series leads, a few of the major guest stars and myself were all working in one big scene together. While the show is an action-packed thriller, every single one of those actors could star in a sitcom, especially Ennis Esmer, Aaron Abrams and Josh Dean. They were all so funny, always cracking jokes and just goofing around. They were just wonderful to work with and they made me feel so welcome.
FMM: Tell us about your podcast, “Actors With Issues.” What led you to launch it? What are some of the challenges you have heard?
Actors With Issues is my weekly podcast where I interview the rising stars of film, TV and Broadway; they share stories about their past experiences onstage and on set and provide insight into the entertainment industry from the ground level. I had initially planned to start the podcast in 2019 but due to experiencing some severe burnout, I had postponed it for quite a while. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that I finally had the time and energy to start it and it’s been a great learning experience so far. We’ve amassed over 40 episodes so far and I can’t wait for the show to continue to grow.
One of the most common threads among the interviews is that of low self-esteem throughout one’s early career. There is often so much guesswork and uncertainty in an acting career and the entertainment industry, that we tend to constantly doubt ourselves, think we’re not good enough and fall into this non-stop hustle culture that can cause us to burn out and give up. It’s important to find our village, our little support group of like-minded artists, to share not just the victories with, but to talk about the losses and create together.
FMM: Are you booking guests?
I’m always looking for actors to feature on my show! Any inquiries can go through my website juanayala.net/actorswithissues or on our Instagram @actorswithissues
FMM: Share your upcoming projects.
One of my goals this year, in addition to booking a few more roles in film and television, is to produce and direct my own work. I have always loved taking charge in a project and did some directing in college, so this year I plan on writing and directing my first short film and a pilot for a potential web series. I’ll also definitely be continuing ‘Actors With issues’, we’ve already got half a dozen episodes coming down the pipeline.
FMM: Please share your social media links.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/juanayalaofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ijuanayala
Facebook: www.facebook.com/juanayalaactor
