This article was originally written by Amanda Lauren for Ravishly. The following is an excerpt.
It’s not easy to maintain your integrity and stick to your beliefs, especially in the entertainment industry. Actress, host, and podcaster Jenna Kim Jones makes it look easy, but that’s not the only thing people like about her. Jenna is Mormon and she has made her tenets—no smoking, no drinking, no pre-martial sex, and no words that could be potentially beeped out on television—the foundation of her personal brand. It’s also hard not to envy her level of perkiness, but also wonder how she does it all without coffee.
Jenna started her career in New York City (by way of Utah), most notably working on The Daily Show and The Late Show With David Letterman. In 2012, she married and moved to Los Angeles with her husband, Allan Moss, who cohosts the #SorryNotSorry podcast with her. Jones is also known for co-hosting Alison Rosen’s podcast, Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend. But, Jenna’s career isn’t just limited to podcasting, she recently made a splash on the big screen, hosting and narrating top documentary, Meet The Mormons. In this interview, Jenna dished the down and not-so-dirty of sticking to your guns in Hollywood, Mormonism, brand building, and her dreams for the future.
What is it like being a Mormon in the entertainment industry? Do you feel people don’t understand your religion?
For the most part, when people find out I’m Mormon, they’re really open minded about it. They seem to be totally cool with it. I run into problems [because] I don’t really curse. I’ve done scripted work where I don’t really want to say [something] or it doesn’t sound natural coming from me.
For the most part, [people are] really respectful. You’ll hear jokes, but I’m all about jokes. I’ve heard every joke about Mormons you can imagine and I’m okay with poking fun at myself. It’s part of who I am, and it’s a package deal. I own it.
Read Lauren’s full article at ravishly.com.
