Inspirational Women of the Entertainment Industry: Jaime King
by Danielle Turchiano

Jaime King has battled demons in her real life and now she is battling them in her reel one as well. The model-turned-actress’ latest feature film, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, is a step off of her usual comedic ground. Though she has always been a fan of genre films, she admits that the turn this particular genre has taken of late has not been attractive to her as an actress or a woman.

“There has been this whole string of torture porn…that I personally don’t like and would never go see,” King explains, “but everyone’s making horror films and I’d read a ton of scripts, but all of the leading ladies—they were all either not that smart or just running around in little shorts and no top.”

My Bloody Valentine, although memorable for a nude death scene, kept this leading lady in jeans and loose tops throughout the entire film, perhaps due in part to King’s willingness to voice her concerns, opinions and wishes. King has what every strong, successful woman in this business needs: guts. King is unafraid to speak her mind, ask for changes and trust her instincts.

King started modeling as a teenager and acting only seemed to be a “natural progression” for her. In her Omaha high school, the cool crowd consisted of the jocks and their stereotypical counterparts, the cheerleaders. Because of King’s appearance, everyone expected her to fit right in with the popular ones, but she naturally gravitated towards a more creative group instead. King calls herself “more artsy than the other kids” and since she was never one to just go with the crowd, she turned to another path.

“Some people learn through sitting in a classroom, some people learn through reading books and some people learn through experiences,” she shrugs unapologetically. “I was always a really avid reader, so I was already doing that on my own, but I also needed to actually experience some things.”

King doesn’t necessarily endorse the idea of kids jumping into this business while they are still minors, but she admits that if they are going to do so, then the most important thing they can do to prepare is study. “Read as much as you can…find out who your favorite actors are and watch as many of their performances as you can…observe and see what it is that you like and don’t like.” King also points out that “you’re going to be putting yourself on the line a lot [in this business]…so it’s extremely important to have some other things in your life that are fulfilling in order to keep you going.”

King always goes for exactly what she wants and does not apologize for it. That kind of confidence is exactly why she has sustained in this business for the better part of a decade and a half.

photo by dan tentler

entertainment, jaime king, my bloody valentine