Bel-Air is back for Season 3 behind a stellar cast of names, including Los Angeles, California native Jazlyn Martin's Jackie.
Serving as a reimagining of Will Smith's hit '90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, this new series takes a more dramatic look at that story as Will Smith moves from West Philadelphia to Southern California.
The show takes a deep dive into the racial tension and culture shock Will feels upon arriving, having to use his street smarts to survive in an environment he's never seen before.
5 Things to Know About Bel-Air's Jazlyn Martin
Bel-Air is Jazlyn’s Biggest Role Yet
The 25-year-old Jazlyn Martin (born November 26, 1998) is only in the early stages of what she hopes will be a promising acting career. Some of her biggest appearances to date include small roles in This Is Us and All American: Homecoming in 2022, each show giving her one episode of work.
She then starred in all 10 episodes of Bel-Air Season 2 as her character, Jackie, was introduced to the story.
Jackie initially meets Will Smith at a basketball tournament before inviting him to a late-night spot in Inglewood, where they dance and get to know each other better.
She also reveals herself to be a dancer with ambitions to go to Julliard, pushing herself to new heights as she develops her relationship further with Will.
Jazlyn Sings, Acts, and Attends College
Speaking with Essence Girls United, the 5'3"-tall TV star revealed that she will hopefully be "in the studio" recording music in 2024 and releasing music sometime this summer:
"Hopefully, yes, I’m in the studio. So hopefully I can put out some music by summertime. I know I’m going back to school [laughs], so let’s see what the schedule looks like.
The report also noted her plans to be in school at UCLA as she works towards earning a major in psychology.
Discussing the way she handles all of those responsibilities with Dance Magazine, she admitted to being overwhelmed but noted how her faith has so much to do with "keeping [her] vision on [her] purpose:"
"Honestly, this season was the testing season for me because I usually am calm and used to being busy. But this season, I was like, 'Okay, this is a lot, and I’m very overwhelmed.' I feel like, my faith has a lot to do with my peace and keeping my vision on my purpose and not letting other distractions take me away from that."
Jazlyn Started as a Dancer
Amongst all of her skills, Jazlyn Martin's first love and passion was for dance.
Speaking on her youth with Dance Magazine, she studied dance at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts before deciding to take acting more seriously once high school ended:
"After high school, I was auditioning to join a dance company, but I also decided to take acting seriously."
Interestingly, her dance agency found Martin her role in Bel-Air, which would allow her to utilize her many years of dance on the small screen. The character shared her Afro-Latina background, and the dancing part of her role was developed during production in Season 2:
"The audition described Jackie as 17, Afro-Latina, street-smart, but the dancing actually came along as I was cast. The producers found out that I dance, and they said they wanted to include that in the character. I’m very grateful to still be able to dance within my acting."
She feels her dancing helps make her a better actor, allowing her to "think on [her] feet and go with what [she feels]" as being a dancer "puts [her] more into [her] body."
Jazlyn Is Dedicated to Self-Care
One of the most important parts of Jazlyn Martin's life is her devotion to self-care off-camera.
Speaking with Brown Style Magazine, she shared that she often spends time in and around nature, noting how it "energizes [her] soul" and gives her a chance to "reflect on life:"
"When it comes to self-care, I equate it with exploring new things. Something about nature just energizes my soul, whether it is at the beach or seeing a new garden. It makes me reflect on life."
Oftentimes, she goes to the beach alone with a coloring book so that she can "get back with [her] inner child:"
"Sometimes I go to the beach by myself with my coloring book just to get back with my inner child and feed her soul. It feeds my artistic soul."
Another tool she uses is solo dating, taking herself out to her favorite places like restaurants and movies with nobody else around her:
Enjoying The Beauty Of Solo Dating
"Solo dates are like the epitome of self-care to me. I recently took myself out to one of my favorite restaurants, before going to see a movie alone."
One specific locale she recommends to her fans is museums, which allows her to explore her artistic side through "different cultures and eras:"
"Visiting museums helps me dive even more into my artistic side because I have more information from different cultures and eras."
Representation is One Of Jazlyn’s Biggest Passions
Through her work in movies and TV, Martin desperately hopes to see more representation brought to the screen through her work for Black and Brown people.
Speaking with Brown Style Magazine, she noted how important "authentic storytelling" is, making it clear she wants people to be able to see themselves through characters on screen:
"Black and Brown people are thriving. I think authentic storytelling is very important. We should be able to see ourselves and relate to what we see on screen. When you actually see yourself on screen and you’re like, 'That’s what we say. That is what we do,' it creates authenticity. If you’re going to tell a Black and Brown story, tell it right!"
She further dove into that idea with Dance Magazine, reflecting back on days when she did not see herself represented. Having the opportunity "to unapologetically be Black and Latina" gave her a new level of confidence, and she hopes her work does the same for others:
"So many people say this, but growing up, I didn’t see myself. And you realize the detrimental effects it has on you and your identity and how you present to the world. Most people who looked at me just identified me as Black, so being able to unapologetically be Black and Latina, it’s given me confidence that I didn’t know that I needed. And hopefully it shows other Afro-Latinos that they belong and that they’re represented—and represented in a positive way."
How to Follow Jazlyn Martin Online
Those looking to follow Jazlyn Martin on social media can do so on her profiles on X (formerly Twitter, @itsjazlynmartin), Instagram (@jazlynmartin), YouTube (@JazlynMartinVEVO), and TikTok (@jazlynmartinnn).
The first three seasons of Bel-Air are now streaming on Peacock.
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