Jacqueline Pinol was three months pregnant and decided to take the next year off from her acting career to complete the cycle of life and give birth to her son Atlas. It was a Tuesday afternoon and she emailed her Agent and Mangers to inform them she was booking out for the next many months ahead. The next day, Wednesday afternoon, her Agents send her an audition for the Amazon hit series, Bosch. "What the fuck, do they not read my emails?", said Pinol, "And for a Detective? Who's looking for a pregnant Detective?". She was right, you never do see pregnant Detectives. She was also right, her team either didn't read her email or ignored it all together. Either way, they coerced her into going to the audition and as Pinol says, "When I decide to go to an audition, I commit 100% and give it my all". Pinol went to the audition and says "The waiting room was full of tall and thin hot women going in for the part, and I'm short and pregnant".
But this is where the difference between successful career actors happens, and the rest of the cattle go back to the barn for the season. Pinol didn't let the situation effect her, the other women in the waiting room distract her, the pregnancy deter her. She went into the audition room and nailed the role. She nailed it so good, that what started as only a one episode Guest Star, turned into a multi-season recurring role on one of the most respected shows on television. They completed season 6 only a few months ago and have been informed that there will be one last season 7 before the show ends it's amazing run.
Pinol was born to Latin parents in Queens, New York, but moved to Beverly Hills at a very young age. She was quickly immersed in the predominantly Caucasian culture as one of the few Latina's in the performing arts department and the neighborhood. "It was only White and Persian at the time, I was one of the first Latina's taken into the drama department". She went on to hold a spot on the world renowned high school choir, The Madrigal Singers, who traveled the world and won awards in every country. She was destined to be a performer and at 15 she started her professional acting career in Hollywood.
She struggled and made mistakes like any new actor. She tried to get an agent by looking through the "Yellow Pages" of the phone book. She also had her uncle take her headshots on a Polaroid camera. But like most Hollywood stories, talent mixed with good looks, charisma, drive, determination and a special work ethic, usually opens doors to a career in the most sought after business on the planet. She eventually booked small roles on major shows, which laid the way for bigger roles on more substantial shows. She has had a 25 year career working on some of the most high profile and major television shows in history. The key to her success is focusing on the blessings and gifts of real life and prioritizing that over anything related to acting. Acting is a career. It is a job. It's not life. Without some semblance of normalcy, you will never be ready when the opportunities arrive. When she was 27 years old she felt the business wasn't giving back what she was putting in, so she just up and left for China, became a student and volunteered working with orphan children. Pinol says that was one of the best decisions of her life because it rejuvenated her soul and brought her back to Hollywood with a fresh new perspective on life.
On return, she found her new calling, Canine foster and rescue. She opened her company, Canine Condition, with her husband Johnny Blu, who just so happens to be the first Caucasian pop star in the Chinese Music World. The Justin Timberlake of China. Once she started fostering and rescuing dogs, her focus moved to something self fulfilling and of importance. Acting now had taken a back seat to her true passion and in ironic fashion, this is when all the acting jobs really started pouring in. "They always say book a trip or an airplane flight and you'll book an acting job". Well, she proved that theory correct, and now she is soon moving into shooting the final and ending season 7 for Bosch. "The Bosch production team expects everyone to be on their A-Game" says Pinol, "From the actors, to the crew and everyone in between, and I'm gonna bring it."
We know you will Jacqueline Pinol, there is a reason they took your one episode guest star and took you recurring to the final season. Your game is A-Game.