209. Jacqueline Piñol, "Marvel's Spider-Man"

This week we are joined by television actress and voiceover artist Jacqueline Piñol for a wonderful reflection on her career and the many lessons learned over the years. Jacqueline knew as early as 12 years old and after her parents moved their family from the Bronx in New York City to Los Angeles, her chosen career path was made even easier. From industry shifts and social media, and the importance of taking risks and making decisions for your own well-being, Jacqueline shares so many insights from her 20+ years in the business from 70+ episodes of television, a dozen feature films and voicing characters in some of the biggest video game franchises of all time, including Marvel’s Spider-Man, Uncharted and Quantum Break.

“My life has taken me in so many different directions that I wouldn’t have expected because I made choices that were risky,” she shared. “I said ‘you know what? I’m gonna just go away for 3 months and travel to China and learn Mandarin.’ It was so random and my mom was like ‘are you insane?’ and I just thought, ‘why not?’. It was one of the best things I could’ve ever done. So you miss 3 months of auditions. But I don’t subscribe to the idea of ‘what if I miss my big chance?’ My big chance is everywhere I go, so who cares?” she laughed.

Jacqueline also talks about her voiceover career and how much that side of the industry has changed because of easier access and the fact that there is more content today than ever before, sharing that finding one’s own voice is the key to success. “Because [voiceover] is so competitive today, you have to find what is authentically with your voice, what characters you find you can bring to life that are not just unique but really truthful or have a certain sound. Enroll in some really great classes where you actually feel the growth where you are building upon characters and that your voice is stretching to offer a different type of sound because then you have something to offer, or you’re looking to do voiceover jobs. Saying ‘I wanna be a voiceover actor, I can do that’ is enough anymore. 20 years ago, maybe.”

Looking back at her early years, Jacqueline shared that she wishes she could have told her younger self to trust her instincts more and to make choices based on what she felt was best for her, and not what others thought. “I was robbing myself from giving ME to audiences, to casting directors, to a performance or audition. I would tell her to just be herself and trust that what you’re giving out and doing is enough. I wish I’d know that earlier because when we trust ourselves. There’s only one of each of us and if we try to be like someone else, now the world doesn’t get to have that piece of us, we’re the only ones who can give it to them.”

Watch our full conversation above, or listen on-the-go on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.