Jaylin Fletcher is a busy young man.
At 13, he already has a professional resume dotted with acting and modeling experience. He was only 6 when he landed his first gig as a thespian. Later, he had a co-starring role in the Disney Channel’s Coop & Cami Ask the World and Nickelodeon’s Let’s Hear It for the Laurie Berkner Band.
Now, he can be seen in the role of Miles in TNT’s new series Snowpiercer, which premiered on May 17. The show is about the last remnants of humanity, all living on a high-speed train that travels through a world destroyed by the government’s response to extreme global warming. Actor Daveed Diggs, who starred in Hamilton, plays Fletcher’s father.
Working with established entertainers is an incredible opportunity for Jaylin because, as he explains it: “I’m learning that there’s a balance between work and play. And eye contact is key when you’re acting because it gives more emotion to the scene.”
The Undefeated caught up with Jaylin for a socially distanced interview, where he showed that while he may be young, he’s already learned some important lessons on how to make his dreams a reality.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell us about your character Miles.
He is a mole for the poor people on the train, and he brings information from the front to the back so that they can try to move forward on the train.
You, like many of us, are trapped inside your home as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you maintain?
I play video games with my brother and it does get boring fast. So, we have to keep switching games. I will say, spending time with my family helps. But focusing on the stuff I want to do hasn’t been easy. It’s like an animal in a zoo. You know, how they go insane when they are trapped for too long? That’s how I feel in quarantine. Like I’m trapped and I can’t escape.
So, you’ll be able to pull from this experience when you go back to filming Snowpiercer?
I can definitely pull from this experience and those emotions for the show.
Do you have other dreams that you want to pursue?
I want to be a dancer, an artist, a singer or rapper. I want to be a basketball player. I want to be an Olympic athlete because I enjoy running. I won the high jump competition at my sixth-grade track meet. But in the long run, my main goal is to help people that are in need. I see all these people with money and they’re not actually helping the people that don’t have the things they have. Like poor people and homeless people, people that don’t get to eat as much as they do. That’s basically my main goal. To help people.
Anything else you want to say?
Always pursue your dreams. Don’t listen to what people tell you. Your dreams are never too big to accomplish. Stay on the path that you want to take.
