Prolific actress Jordan Hundley:
To start, please introduce yourself:
Hi! My name is Jordan Hundley and I’m a 22-year-old actress from Northern VA. Just last year, I graduated from James Madison University with a double degree in Theatre Performance and Theatre Studies. I’ve been a stage actor for about 10 years and have done over 30 plays and musicals, and just started venturing into film about a year and a half ago and have over 15 films under my belt and 10 (at the moment) upcoming in 2025.
What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?
To me, a work of horror is any media intended to invoke fear or disgust, and it can be combined with any other genre, including dramas, thrillers, comedies, or even musicals.
What made you want to work in horror?
It’s funny, I actually HATED anything and everything scary in my childhood: haunted houses, “scary” kid’s movies, spooky costumes, etc. I even have a vivid memory of being like 10 and watching Jurassic Park with my family, and the first time they showed a dinosaur, I screamed, sobbed, and didn’t sleep for days (I was convinced a dinosaur was going to come from the woods and eat me). I was a very anxious child.
However, at some point in middle school, I decided to face my fears and basically put myself through crazy exposure therapy and watched every scary movie and TV show I could find on Netflix (I thought it’d make me cooler). Everything including horror classics, B horror, indie films, horror/sci fi TV shows, crime shows, etc. I watched it all and eventually LOVED it.
I stopped viewing horror media from a traditional audience’s lens of immersing myself in the film (which was causing the anxiety). Instead, I learned to view it from an artistic and creative lens where I’d admire and analyze HOW the film was successful at being scary (the acting performances, the sfx, the lighting, the cinematography, the score, etc.). Not only did this outlook make me not scared anymore, but it also actually inspired me. I wanted to be the one creating the magic of horror movies, more specifically, I wanted to be one of the actors in these movies and tv show.
It’s also interesting though that I did not start acting with the intention of being in any specific genre of movies, I happened to accidentally and unintentionally stumble into horror in 2022. I have been a professional stage actor for over 10 years, but in 2021 I got vocal nodules (or nodes) and was unable to continue long stage acting contracts because I’d lose my voice. So, I turned to film. I had no idea what I was doing, but I saw a random casting for a horror short on Facebook, sent in a self-tape, and booked it! That was my first film: Haig’s Heart with Archico Productions (part of the 10/31 Pt 4 anthology that was released this past October).
From there, I made a very unserious scream reel with random screams I’d done in Haig’s Heart and some other live performances (which is still on my website and Instagram), and the horror castings started rolling in. Although I have had awesome and memorable experiences shooting all genres of film and tv, I love the blood, the gore, the heightened acting, and the action of horror. I am also thankful for horror because it was what launched my love for film and (hopefully) my career on screen.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Most of my inspiration comes from watching others at work. I love to always be watching movies and tv because I learn so much from watching other actors and am consistently inspired to try new types of roles and genres. Recently, my muse has been Game of Thrones (I’m so late to the game but I just finished it and am OBSESSED with the world-building and performances) and Nosferatu (again, the atmosphere that the artists created in that film through cinematography, dialogue, and acting is entrancing). Some other works of media that have profoundly inspired me is American Horror Story (specifically seasons 2, 4, 5, and 7), As Above So Below, The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, Lost, Hateful Eight, and Train to Busan.
What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
Oh boy, this is a tough question. I don’t necessarily know at this early point in my career where or what I necessarily want my legacy to be since I’m still exploring it all. However, I do know that I want to use my voice and storytelling to make the world a better place and help people. Whether it be by bringing a smile to someone’s face, allowing a marginalized or silenced voice to be uplifted, presenting a universal or relatable theme that brings people together, or just providing a distraction from everyday struggles, I want the stories I tell to be a beneficial and advantageous force.
What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?
Women in Horror Month is where we celebrate all the bad ass and awesome women that work in the horror genre! As I mentioned above, horror is meant to invoke fear and disgust, which takes a certain caliber of performer to tackle. It requires an immense amount of courage and confidence to put ourselves in some of the circumstances that horror films can contain. Historically, society has asked women to be quiet, lowkey, and polite, which horror oftentimes defies, thus allowing us to stand out, speak out, and be powerful. Which is freaking awesome! Women in horror have been breaking societal expectations and norms for decades, and its important year after year to recognize their contributions to the field, highlight how far we’ve come, and uplift future generations of women in horror to keep it going!
Who are some of the Women in Horror who you look up to and who do you want to bring attention to in your field or others?
I have several women in horror that have inspired me on my journey. Most recently is Lily Rose-Depp. Her performance in Nosferatu was unlike anything she’s ever done before, and I admire how intensely she trained for that role. She worked tirelessly with a movement coach and a Japanese absurdist dance coach to safely execute all her practical body spasm effects in the film. Movement and physicality have always been a sore spot for me because I get stuck in my head (I struggled my way through several movement for the actor classes in college), so I respect her dedication to the craft and am inspired to implement more movement training to my repertoire.
Another horror actress that I admire immensely is Kate Siegel, specifically with her performances in The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass (but she’s never had a bad performance!). She has such a precise and delicate handle on nuance and specificity that you don’t see often in horror actresses that creates absolutely beautiful, breathtaking, and complex (but real!!!!) characters. I am 100% a dialogue girlie, and I can only hope to one day evoke the control and emotions through text that she does.
Some other women in horror that I admire for taking crazy risks, breaking boundaries, and changing the game are Kathy Bates, Mia Goth, Lupita Nyong’o, and Shelley Duvall. Those women specifically have contributed to redefining what roles (and power) a woman could hold in horror, and I look up to each and every one of them.
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
I’ve got so many awesome up and coming projects! I’d like to shout out a few that I’ve been given permission to promote.
First one that I want to shoutout is Mandias by Emerald Strike Film Co. We just wrapped shooting in January, but it’s shaping up to be freaking awesome! It’s a futuristic in-space sci fi-horror short film that makes some insane use of practical effects and lighting. You can check Emerald Strike Film Co. out and follow along on YouTube, Instagram, and Patreon.
The next one I want to shout out is actually two films that have been crowdfunding as a Double Feature with Key 13 Film Studios! And those are Following and Quattro. I am starring in romantic drama Following as Denise, a confident, yet mysterious, young woman whose new relationship with Ciara has many unexpected turns and twist. I also play a large supporting role in sci fi-horror Quattro named Natalie, a seemingly sweet-hearted Southern girl participating in the trials for some extra cash for her honeymoon. Not only am I acting in both, but I am also Executive Producing both as well! The Indiegogo is up till early April, and we start filming for both later this spring. Also with Key 13 Film Studios, last summer I starred in These Things, a goofy sci-fi alien horror, and that feature film will be coming out this summer!
Additionally, this fall I starred in a hilarious short film called The Last Shift by Wrong Neighborhood Productions. It’s finished (and freaking awesome!!!), but is currently in the film circuit, so it’s not available to stream or watch anywhere public yet. Be sure to follow along on Instagram though for news of when it’s eventually released!
Finally, a few more up and coming projects that I’m acting in this upcoming Spring and Summer include T-Rexorcist by Fuzzy Monkey Films, Black Sheep by Dancing Demons, Barbra with V2 Pictures, An Ex-Hooker’s Christmas Nightmares with Sharkey Productions, Trailer Trash with Claytonix Productions, and more!
Where can readers keep up with you?
My Instagram is @jordanhundley13, my Facebook is Jordan Hundley, and my website is jordanhundleyactor.com. Feel free to message me from any of those, I’d love to network and chat!