ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Jamir Jones, a student at Orange County Virtual Schools and a child actor from Orlando, recently made an appearance on the hit television show “Abbott Elementary.”
The local rising star is also currently working on a computer-animated series for Nickelodeon.
During his time on “Abbott Elementary,” Jones shared the screen with award-winning actress and producer Quinta Brunson, who plays the character Mrs. Teague.
The young actor traveled to Los Angeles for the role while maintaining his studies through the Orange County virtual program.
Jones described his time on the set of the popular sitcom as a positive experience that allowed him to connect with other performers.
He noted that the environment was welcoming for a young actor.“Well, when I was on Abbey Elementary, it was so fun,” Jones said. “Like the people on set, they were so nice, the actors were nice. I met some friends that were also the actors on the show and they had good food, like their lunch and their breakfast was amazing and was such a fun experience.”
The actor’s path to television began through the encouragement of local educators in Central Florida. His mother, Shae Jones, serves as an educator with Orange County schools. She said her colleagues were the first to suggest that Jamir had a natural talent for performing.“And they’ll be like, he has a gift,” Jones said. “And I’m like, no, it’s okay. And they’re like, no, he has a gift. Get him into classes and that’s how it all kind.”
Following his appearance on network television, Jones has moved into animation with a new project featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
The computer-graphic animated series focuses on the origin stories of the four main characters.“It’s a computer graphic animated series that is about the early days of the iconic Ninja Turtles like leader NATO, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo and it’s about their first adventures as ninjas in training,” Jones said.
Managing a bi-coastal acting career requires significant family coordination and a focus on safety while traveling to Los Angeles.
His father, Anthony Jones, said he prioritizes his son’s well-being and happiness throughout the production process.“I’m always praying and making sure that they’re safe and also at you know, at the same time is to making sure when they’re travel, they’re having fun and he gets to showcase his talent,” Jones said. “And if he’s smiling, laughing every day, I’m a happy father.”
While Jones confirmed his involvement in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, the specific role he plays has not yet been revealed.
He told viewers they would have to tune in to the Nickelodeon program to find out which character he voices.
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