JaNae Armogan: The Gem North America’s Acting World Now Needs To Discover!

Her voice, that which you immediately notice when meeting her for the first time, is still as melodious as it has ever been. Most welcoming, totally engaging and tinged with enrapturing warmth that draws you in and holds you captive.

Her smile still dazzles with its brightness, but the hint of mischief that was seemingly there before has now been replaced by an underlying sense of knowing. Her trusting nature still allows her to hold true to her core belief that there’s good in everyone and that everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. The harsh realities of her experiences, particularly some that she has had of late, have however caused her to accept that there are those who will prove themselves unworthy of any such favors.

Of whom do we speak? JaNae Armogan of course, the now fairly seasoned, still aspiring, talented Canadian born actress of Guyanese and American parentage. In a recent, third, in person meeting with JaNae that was every bit as delightful as the first two, she brought me fully up to speed on the progress she has been making towards her goal of becoming a well known, “working” North American actress.

Today’s JaNae is still as fervent as ever in self belief for her natural acting abilities. She has maintained her conviction that she does indeed have what it takes to be successful as an actress. The frustrations that may have existed before, which stemmed from her previous inability to unearth that one influential Casting Director or Film Producer that will give her the break she needs to fulfill her obvious talents, have now been replaced with a far more fatalistic “Que sera, sera outlook” to her acting career.

Her deep rooted faith continues to allow her to accept that it is all in God’s hands and to believe that his plan for her would in all sense dictate the most optimum use of the obvious acting talents with which she has been so abundantly blessed. To that has been added an ever growing confidence in her talents and abilities. These she has never doubted. Her uncertainties of the past were centered on doubts as to whether the industry, as competitive as it is, would ever give her the break she so fervently desires and richly deserves.

Instead of harboring any doubts about the future, she now instead strives to always live in the moment, fully appreciative of all the God given good in her life that is so worthy of daily celebration. She’s also far more aware of the signs God consistently presents as assurances that she is indeed on the right track. Every time that she has found herself in the darkness of doubt and disbelief, someone has always randomly, miraculously; appeared offering much needed and appreciated words of encouragement.
Yet another example of God’s wonders working in her life was her discovery of meditation. Her version of meditation, which she now practices daily, has since become one of the rocks of stability in her life.

Meditation has also opened her eyes in a very positive manner by providing her with the inner calmness that allows her to fully appreciate all that she has and how fortunate she is to be doing what she truly loves. This combined with her daily walks which keep her in touch with nature and makes her fully appreciative of its often simplistic beauty, has helped her become thoroughly grateful for where she is now in her career. For the ultra amazing journey it has been and for all of the wonderful opportunities it continues to provide for her.

JaNae loves her job and everything about it. That much is blatantly obvious every time she speaks about the experiences she has had to date as an aspiring actress. Happiness for her is to be constantly working and progressing. Her definition of success remains as it has always been. She doesn’t necessarily have to become a superstar and doesn’t even care much for the fame and fortune that would undoubtedly provide. She simply wants to be provided with the acting opportunities that will continuously challenge her talents and skills while allowing her to grow. She would for example relish the opportunity to play villainous roles that are in complete contrast to her naturally sweet, kind, character.

As a woman she would also, someday, love to have a family, have kids and find a significant other who would believe in her as much as she believes in him. Her preoccupation with her career to date hasn’t quite allowed any of that to happen just yet. So for now such thoughts and plans have been relegated to back burner status.

Shelving such thoughts and plans has been made relatively easy by the fact that JaNae is extremely comfortable with herself and always has been. She fully appreciates that she is not perfect, but uses that realization as fuel for constantly working on improving herself. She therefore spends much of her free time objectively analysing where she’s at in her career and her progress in pursuit of her acting goals. She constantly tries to identify new strategies that she can implement that will help her get to where she wants to be as quickly as possible.

JaNae also tries to learn the lessons of her experiences. Her trips to LA and the time she’s spent there have taught her that the US acting scene is a highly competitive dog eat dog world where being known is oftentimes far more important than actual talent. As such during her most recent sojourns across the border she became a bit of a grinder, adopting a daily regimen of dropping off her portfolios to as many Casting Directors as possible.

She also engaged the services of a Manager, Mark Myers of Citizen Skull Productions, who is now actively working on her behalf in total harmony with the activities of her Agent, Hines Management’s Amy Hines who has been with her from almost Day 1. Her LA exposure helped JaNae to quickly appreciate that Managers perform much more of a promotional role and tend to be far more aggressive in pursuing and representing the interests of their charges than Agents.

To JaNae’s most welcomed benefit however, Myers’ Citizen Skull Productions also produces, funds and cast independent films. She had signed with them in January prior to heading out to LA. As a result of Myers’ promotional efforts she was presented with quite a fair number of opportunities to get into audition rooms with Casting Directors and also enjoyed some call backs as well. Now that she’s back in Toronto she often uses Citizen Skull Productions facilities to do self tape auditions for any opportunity that comes her way.

JaNae also feels very richly blessed to have as her Agent someone like Amy who has always been there for her, even at the toughest of times. When her beloved father had passed, she initially didn’t allow herself the necessary time to grieve, preferring instead to become zestfully immersed in work pursuits in the hope that increased activity would shield her from the pain. Inevitably however the profound sense of loss eventually caught up with her, resulting in an emotional breakdown during an audition. It was Amy who came to her rescue then, insisting that she take the necessary time off to grieve.  Amy’s outstanding support, and more recently that of Mark Myers as well, has been an important constant in her life. So too has her family, which continues to be of primary importance to JaNae. Her Mom and sister still serve as the rock solid sources of support they have always been. So too has her brother-in-law.

In contrast to the frustrated, at times angry individual she was two years ago, today’s JaNae is much calmer, far more relaxed. There’s also now a quiet, yet unmistakeably evident confidence about her demeanor. This she says is the result of her reinvigorated belief that things will eventually work out for her. Even if she never gets the coveted roles she desires and feels she deserves, she knows that there are other things she can do.

That’s a belief that is indeed well founded. The unique combinations of her physical attractiveness, melodious voice and buoyant personality, would virtually guarantee JaNae’s instant and outstanding success in any Public or Customer Relations role that might be presented to her.
She however very much likes where she is now and on happiness scale of 1-10 would actually give herself a 7! Within Canadian acting circles her talents are slowly but surely becoming well known and the roles and opportunities have begun to trickle through. They are not yet at the flood like proportions she desires, but the trickle is now constant and far greater than the unpredictable drips she was frustratingly experiencing two, three years ago.

The progression she is now enjoying is clearly evident on JaNae’s current Resume which has been expanding most impressively. Her most recent works have included the role of Candice for the Pilot of Incorporated (the Pilot) a Transylvania CW Film. She’s also played a Nurse’s role in 4 In The Morning, was Nikki the Speech Writer in the Pilot for the Kiefer Sutherland starred TV Series, Designated Survivor and was recently given a recurring role alongside actor James Denton, of Desperate Housewives fame, as a Floor Nurse in the Good Witch. Filming for the Good Witch’s 4th Season begins this August.

JaNae also appeared in First Round Down, a Feature film that was in Toronto Theatres just this past May and which did really well, becoming Number 1 earning a one week exstention on its scheduled run. In First Round Down, which was written, produced and directed by Jason and Brett Butler. JaNae played the principal role of Charlene. First Round Down can now be purchased online iTunes,

Code 8, which will be out in theatres in 2018 is yet another feature film that has been graced with JaNae’s abundant acting talents. She play the role of a Hospital Clerk in Code 8 which also features Sung Kang and Robbie Amell as its stars. She’s also already been booked to play a principal role, as Officer Phelps, in the TV Series The Detail that airs next year.

JaNae’s highly impressive Resume can be viewed in all of its glory on her website www.janaearmogan.com or on her IMDB page : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2312623/. She can also be followed on Twitter @janaenarmogan and on Snapchat @ladyj43.

As I’d indicated before to listen to JaNae describe the acting roles she has held so far is akin to being in the theatre yourself, watching the part unfold. Listening to her speak one has absolutely no doubts about her talents as an actress.

As naturally beautiful, focussed and talented as she is and blessed as she may be with her rock solid faith in the divine support that exists for her in the pursuit of her career goals, there’s now absolutely no doubt that JaNae will very soon achieve her definition of success. As I reminded her recently “God’s Delays Are Never God’s Denials” and ‘Good Things Always Eventually Happen For Good People!”

When it comes to being a “good person” JaNae, with all the virtues she abundantly possesses: beauty, intelligence, eloquence, kindness, loyalty, passion and driving ambition, to identify just a few, is right up there with the very best. I therefore have every confidence that North America’s Film Industry will indeed soon fulfill its now long overdue obligation to discover her as its next acting gem!