Longevity Over Hype: What a Working Actor Learns After 25 Years in the Business

By the time you've been in this industry long enough, you stop confusing momentum with security.

Jason McKinnon has been training and working as a professional actor since the late 1990s - long enough to have lived through booms, busts, format shifts, and the quiet emotional whiplash that comes from building a career in an industry that rarely explains itself. Over the years, his work has appeared across major networks and studios including Netflix, Apple TV+, CBS, ABC, FOX, The CW, Amazon, Hallmark, Lifetime, MGM+, and more . He's been a series regular, a recurring presence, a guest star, and everything in between.

What he hasn't been is naive.

"People see the credits and assume stability," McKinnon says. "But the truth is, this is a high-risk, high-reward business - especially when you're supporting a family."

Married for 17 years and the father of two young children, McKinnon understands the pressure that comes with chasing creative fulfillment while managing real-world responsibility. Acting may be a dream job, but it's still a job - one that can disappear without warning.

Like most actors, he's had moments where he's mentally quit the industry. A few times, he actually did - briefly. Then the pull of the work brought him back.

One of the sharpest lessons came when he was cast as the lead of a Netflix series slated for a 72-episode run. He made it to episode 12 or 13 before being replaced.

"It was one of the biggest kicks in the teeth I've experienced," he admits. "But it also forced me to internalize something every actor eventually has to learn: this is a business. It's not personal. Even when it feels deeply personal."

That clarity didn't make the setback painless - but it did make it useful.

Over time, McKinnon stopped waiting for permission. The phone calls and emails still matter - they always will - but he no longer treats them as the sole validation of his worth or momentum. Instead, he widened the lane.

In addition to on-camera work, McKinnon has built a parallel career as a voice artist, working in commercials and animation. His voice can even be heard at Universal Studios' Skull Island attraction in Florida - a reminder that acting careers often stretch far beyond what audiences see on screen.

More recently, he's leaned into creation and ownership. Alongside a writing partner, he's developing a short-form scripted series. He's also building online acting courses designed to meet performers where they actually are - practical, digestible, and flexible, whether someone wants a surface-level overview or a deep technical dive.

"Actors are taught to keep their blinders on," he says. "But stagnation is the most dangerous place you can be. Even when the industry feels frozen - strikes, slowdowns, uncertainty - you can't stop creating."

That philosophy extends to his growing presence on Instagram and TikTok, where he shares sketches, impressions, and comedy that reflect both his craft and his personality. It's not about chasing virality; it's about staying creatively sharp and connected to an audience on his own terms.

After more than two decades in the business, McKinnon no longer defines success by hype, visibility, or external approval. He defines it by durability.

"I've learned that a long career isn't built on one job, one show, or one break," he says. "It's built by adapting, creating, and finding ways to stay in motion - even when the industry isn't."

For artists coming up behind him, the message is simple but hard-earned: don't wait. Don't freeze. And don't confuse silence with failure.

Longevity, after all, is its own kind of success.

Jason Mckinnon
6043745364
(Trisko Talent - Agent - Dylan Maher)
234 W 3rd Ave #320,
Vancouver, BC
V5Y 0P3

Jason McKinnon is a Canadian actor, voice artist, and writer with over 25 years in the entertainment industry. His work spans film, television, voiceover, and digital media, with credits across major networks and studios including Netflix, Apple TV+, CBS, ABC, FOX, Amazon, and Hallmark. He is currently developing a short-form scripted series and an online acting school focused on practical, sustainable career-building for artists. He can be found on Instagram sharing sketches, impressions, and behind-the-scenes insights into life as a working actor.

This release was published on openPR.