Jessy Yates - Actor of the Month for July 2025

Actor: Jessy Yates | Interviewed by: Danielle Pretsfelder-Demchick, CSA

1) Has there been a Casting Director who has really championed or supported you in your career journey?

There have been so many incredible casting directors that have gone to bat for me and have given me the career I have now. Danielle Pretsfelder-Demchick, CSA has fought for me on countless jobs. Her belief in me as a performer was what allowed me to book a series regular role on Netflix’s Pulse. She is a fierce advocate for disabled actors and a delightful face to see in a room.

2) What is the project you’re most proud of, and why?

Probably Pulse on Netflix. Getting to grow a character over the course of a season is every actor’s dream. Equally so, getting to work with incredible actors and show runners allowed me to hone my skills and process as an actor.

3) What or who inspired you to pursue acting as a career?

CATS — I’m serious! I saw it when I was 8 and I became obsessed with the ability transport audiences to new worlds, complete with their own rules and language. I begged my grandma to make me a Rum Tum Tugger costume that year for Halloween and I didn’t care that no one knew how I was supposed to be.

4) What was your first IMDbPro credit and how did you feel when you saw it?

Speechless on ABC. I felt like I could officially call myself a professional actor.

5) How has IMDbPro helped you either to market yourself or connect with other industry professionals?

IMDbPro has allowed me to keep a finger on the pulse of what work is being made. Additionally, it’s been an invaluable resource when auditioning for new projects. The first thing I do when I get an audition is to look up the creative team’s past projects. When given new material, there are a million choices you can make, so being able to see past work by the creatives I’m auditioning for helps to narrow down my choices. It helps me play in the right sandbox.

6) Any funny or memorable casting room stories you can share?

This is tricky, because more of my career has been in the new era of self-tapes — so I’ll say this: any opportunity to be in a room with real, live people is just a gift.

7) If you could play any character in any movie, past or present, who would it be and why?

Oh wow! I think I would play Beatrix in Kill Bill Vol 1. This may come as a surprise to most people because I use a wheelchair, but I LOVE combat, especially sword fighting. That film is stylistically playing homage to so many different genres, so it incredible to go to work each day and enter a new world — each more epic than the next.

8) What show or movie that you’re currently watching or have watched countless times could you nerd out about forever? What do you love about it?

My absolute favorite show ever made is The Comeback on HBO. It is somehow both laugh-out-loud funny and utterly heartbreaking at the same time. Lisa Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish with so much heart and without any hint of irony or removal and I’m impressed every time I watch it.

9) Tell us a fun fact about you outside of acting.

I love a DIY project. I have a bad habit of seeing something online, whether it be home decor or clothing or a haircut, and I think “hey, I could probably make that.”

Actor of the Month is a monthly collaboration between IMDbPro and Casting Society that celebrates the casting community and spotlights its members through a series of interviews between casting directors and actors about their acting journey, the casting process, and how IMDbPro helps them advance their careers.