Grounded In Fantasy
text Maya Avram
photography Jason Jude
For someone who’s been on the scene as long as Jordan Adene, the young actor is refreshingly level-headed. Alongside high-profile appearances in hit shows like Doctor Who and The Sandman, he maintains a nine-to-five job, carves out time for family and friends and makes space to travel. It’s all intentional: Adene sees life itself as the richest source of inspiration for the characters he plays onscreen and the independent projects he’s developing. These experiences, he predicts, are stepping stones for him to eventually step behind the camera, sharing his sharp eye for human stories with the world.
Maya Avram: You’ve hit impressive career milestones in the last few years, from starring in Dr Who to The Sandman. What was the journey like?
Jordan Adene: When I started acting, I just wanted to enjoy and express myself freely. Now, being in productions like Dr Who and The Sandman is like a fever dream. I never, ever would have thought I’d be involved in projects of that calibre. Of course, I had ideas of what it’s going to be like, but when you arrive on set, it’s levels above what you can ever imagine.
With Dr Who, the episode was set in Lagos, Nigeria, and had an almost entirely Black cast — that in itself is something I never thought I’d see, let alone be a part of. It was an amazing experience.
MA: Did you feel the weight of the moment?
JA: Of course, that’s always present. Whether it’s a big project like Dr Who or a short film, that pressure is always gonna be there.
With Dr Who, because I was a big fan of Ncuti and everyone else, it definitely amped up the pressure to perform. But at the same time, like I said, it’s motivating. I learned a lot on that shoot, and that environment motivated me to become a better actor. It only added to my performance.
MA: What has that experience taught you, and how will that learning impact your future roles?
JA: As a young actor, I used to focus more on what the director wanted, taking in every note and doing exactly what they told me. But as a grown-up, I recognise the importance of having my own ideas and treat the process more like a collaboration. Dr Who has taught me that; before we would even start shooting, we’d discuss everyone’s ideas and interpretations of the scene for at least an hour. It elevated not just my own performance, but everyone else’s, too.
MA: Has this outlook changed the way you approach your characters?
JA: I’ve been researching the Meisner and Stanislavski techniques, taking bits from each of them to create something that works for me. Thinking about my characters, discovering their objectives, what they want and why they want it, understanding their background, all of that is now part of my process. Preparation brings a different element to performance. Still, when you go into a scene, the most important part is letting that go and allowing instinct to take over.
MA: What is your dream role?
JA: That would be James Bond, that’s definitely my dream role. In terms of career, I’m a huge cinephile, so it would be a blessing to step behind the camera and direct.
MA: Who inspires you?
JA: Donald Glover, particularly his series Atlanta. He wrote it, produced it, directed it, starred in it; he does music as well, Childish Gambino. He’s one of the most talented people in the industry.
MA: What excites you about the future?
JA: I’m excited about doing my own projects. It’s very early days, but I’m starting to think of ideas for short films. They’re difficult to pull off, from funding to hiring crew — things that, as an actor, you usually don’t have to worry about. So it can be daunting, but it’s also exciting.
MA: Of course, you get to wear a different hat.
JA: The main thing I’ve noticed is that, when it comes to writing and producing, your support network is invaluable. Having other people who are just as passionate about a project as you are is important because you can hold each other accountable.
MA: Where do you get the ideas for these independent projects?
JA: So then, when you’re presented with a script, you have those experiences in your arsenal to draw from and be like, ‘I’ve seen this, I’ve experienced this, I understand this.’ It’s the same with writing. It could just be something you’ve seen and then you think, ‘Oh, that would be a cool short film.’ Inspiration in that sense comes from within.
fashion Cecylia Świetlik
makeup and hair Salina Thind
photography assistant Ignas Kelpsas
