December 2025 Cover Story: Jakholbi Murry
Your environment can make or break your creative process.
Often it’s out of our control simply due to personal upbringing and experiences. You can call it unfair, but the reality is it can be hard to find inspiration in places where there's not much to do.
Depending on your environment, your access to different mediums of art and information can play a huge role on your perception of creativity and what you think you can achieve with it.
As artists’ mature in their journeys, we often see them take control over their said environment. This doesn’t necessarily mean just physically, but also in their approach or position within the creative landscape. Many of our favorite creators all started in one focus and found their ultimate success in another.
One example that comes to mind is writer/producer Taylor Sheridan. Known for writing hit films like ‘Sicario’ and ‘Hell or High Water’, Sheridan [Taylor Sheridan] wasn’t always a writer. He got into the entertainment industry acting in shows like ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and ‘Veronica Mars’. Which he says is to his benefit.
In a sit down with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan explained he’s “Allergic to Exposition” as a result of his experiences in acting. Having a background in acting allowed him to focus less on the story and more on the characters. In a moment of desperation he pivoted to a new environment, writing, as a way of expressing himself creatively and ultimately paying his bills. Clearly the acting did him some good as he recently inked a new TV/Film deal with NBCUniversal valued at up to $1 billion dollars over 5 years.
Our December cover artist, Jakholbi Murry, has never let his environment dictate how he chose to create. Murry [Jakholbi Murry], not only pivoted from his love of sports but dove into the deep end of a new passion in a place where you had to make your own magic.
Photo of Jakholbi Murry from Austin Sena
The Murfreesboro product has begun building his professional network in New York City. An environment with no shortage of creative spaces, platforms and cultures to cultivate and attack his dreams. We sat with Murry to discuss his family upbringing and the impact it had on his creativity. While also defining success in the present and how his transition to New York has impacted his artistry.
Talk about your upbringing. What was it like growing up in your family?
Growing up I played a whole lot of sports. My whole family played sports. My brother ran track, played baseball and football. My sister played softball, my other brother played basketball and he ran track so I naturally..
…athletic family.
Exactly! We loved sports. So I grew up playing football from Elementary school into Middle school. I had fun, it was a great time. I was a running back, and was really good. Running people over doing all that you know nothing too crazy.
Who are you comparing your game to? Who was your game similar too?
Matt Forte. You know, in his prime with the Bears. That was my guy growing up.
As I got older I just started to realize that sports wasn’t for me. And I loved it so much but I had to switch. You know when you spend your time after school you want to have fun with what you do. So I wasn’t really having fun anymore with sports. I found that theater was accessible.
Was this pivot out of left-field or did you have a foundation in anything creative?
I also sang and danced in Elementary school. I was a part of the choir in church. So it was an easy transition for me once I saw that ‘Footloose’ had rehearsals and auditions.
So I auditioned and I sang a little bit. I danced. I was nervous for sure but I got casted in an ensemble role. That kind of just sparked it from there.
It was a little complicated explaining that to my parents. Not because they were going to neglect me or reject me from becoming an actor or being involved with theater. That had just never been done before [in my family].
It was hard for me to navigate this new interest, and ultimately a profession, that I had never seen anyone do before. I had no example, so I began mapping it out myself early on.
You felt encouraged by your support system once you made that pivot?
For sure. My parents always taught me and my siblings that if you wanted something, you had to go get it. My grandmother, rest in peace, also encouraged me to be bold in my efforts and try new things. It’s actually her birthday today as we do this!
Fly! Happy birthday to her!
Yes! Thank you, thats fire!
When did it click for you where you said to yourself, “I’m good at this acting thing a lil bit”. Was there a performance or moment that comes to mind?
I felt like I was good pretty early on. Only because it felt natural.
I would be in rehearsal and I would watch other people perform their scenes and I could see them in real time finding their character and working the scene. It was never really hard for me to envision myself in their shoes.
Relating it back to sports, you have back-up quarterbacks and pitchers that watch the starters. Over and over again you get those mental reps, so that you’re ready for when your time comes. I felt like I was ready after observing for a bit.
Photo of Jakholbi Murry from Austin Sena
I was casted in HS in ‘Dracula', which was fun. We did ‘Dearly Departed' the next spring. I got reps early on and was finding my confidence. I used to like the recognition for it when people would enjoy my performances, and I still do, but I don’t let it dictate how I ever feel about myself.
With the success early, what were some of the things you had to work through and struggle with? Especially when it came to acting.
When I first started acting I struggled with finding the character. (Laughs)
For everyone that starts to do theater, they always find a monologue that's either really angry or really sad. Then you want to try and be really mad or sad when you’re auditioning or performing it. That was my kryptonite.
I wanted to be angry or sad. Nothing else.
You leaned heavy into the emotion aspect of it.
Yes, instead of being in it. Emotion is important, but it's not everything.
How did you work through that?
First is theater class. In High school I had two great teachers. Matt and Mary-Ellen Smith. They taught me everything I needed to know about how to be in the moment and how not to overthink when focusing on different things.
Focusing on the task at hand. Asking myself, what is the objective of this scene?
Keeping it more simple?
Yes, keeping it simple. Making sure I'm not overthinking or overanalyzing a script. The first thing you learn in theater is that it, [theater] is a reflection of life. With that idea in mind, I knew that I had to be alive and present in the scene. That helped me a ton.
Going to school at Lipscomb helped me as well. As an acting major I learned about Meisner and the Meisner Technique. (Laughs)
Explain this to me like I’m five bro. (Laughs) What is The Meisner Technique?
Think of it like this…
It’s a repetition exercise where we both say “The grass is green”. We would continue to say this back and forth to each other.
Now depending on how you or I say it, that sentence can mean a whole lot more things depending on tone, and how you deliver the line.
In this I’m reading body language and building dialogue through this phrase and we work off one another.
You took what away from learning this technique and other things like this in school?
It allowed me to focus less on the words on the page in the script and how I could work with my scene partner. Which is uber important. We often think in theater that we are out there by ourselves, when in reality there are others out there with you.
Photo of Jakholbi Murry via Instagram @Jakholbi
Of course you’ll have your moments on stage alone and you want to relate to your audience and explore ways of doing so. All of those experiences mold and grow you as an actor.
New York! Talk to me about your first impressions.
It’s fast-paced. Which you know when you go out there to visit. When you live there everyday, you hear cars honking and people yelling. You see people running to catch the train and taxis on every corner.
There’s a lot of people and what I’ve learned is that you have to focus on yourself. You can get lost in all that the city has to offer. I do my best to not get distracted and to make art.
That’s what I went up there to do. I went up there to make art bro. That city is full of art. I do my best to not take it for granted. One any given day I could meet someone who relates to me and we can collaborate and make wonderful art.
You’ve been able to build a network around you?
That’s been the main thing. I’ve met a ton of like-minded individuals that are all doing their best to make something great.
What does the theater scene look like in the city? How are you personally navigating the audition process?
I usually try and read for auditions weeks out. I try to map out all the auditions with my schedule so I can lock in on scripts.
I attend these auditions and use them as reps. I’ll get replies and go from there but I’m all about finding the balance. I find that the gym helps me out a lot with that. Right now that’s been the routine and finding ways of working on other things in between as well.
You are originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. What inspiration and influence did that community have on you?
Murfreesboro is what you make it. There’s a lot…let me stop.
There ain't a ton of things going on (Laughs)
But if you want to do something there, you can find the right avenues to do anything. I would do theater at the Murfreesboro Center for the Arts. I started doing that in High school and that's when I really started to fall in love with theater and acting.
I think I did 10 shows in a year at one point there and at school. There are places around the city where you can do things like that.
It is a suburb, so if you want to stay out the way and duck off you have the ability to. So I think that's where I get my introvertedness from. I definitely miss the slower life a bit though. The countryside is always super nice over there.
We were talking about it yesterday, you miss driving.
I miss driving. I miss the stars, man.
Since I’ve been back here visiting I keep looking at the sky (laughs)
Like I said earlier though, I’ve always done my best at creating my own opportunities. That’s what I view Murfreesboro as. It’s a place where I could nurture my talents and learn. Everyone there motivated me to go and learn new things.
I’m forever appreciative of that and for how that community built me up. I wouldn’t be the person I am today, the actor I am today without Murfreesboro and the support the community has given me.
Photo of Jakholbi Murry from Austin Sena
In the present moment, how would you define success?
I like writing. It’s funny if you would have asked me that in previous years I would’ve said “Success to me is being in a movie or booked in a broadway show.”
Now it’s a little different. It’s not that I’ve tapered my expectations or anything, I still have those goals. I expect to achieve those things in due time. If I don’t, it doesn't mean I'm unsuccessful.
I like the small goals and celebrating the small wins. That’s made me happier overall right now. I’m always chasing being content. I’ve had friends that have talked about that as well. I like living in that area of “Today was a good day”.
I find that with writing and finding new monologues to do. And I find that by spending time with family and friends.
Favorite Actors?
Daniel Kaluuya for sure. He’s a dog. He’s so good bro, he’s good in everything he’s in.
Of course Denzel Washington. The Goat, really.
I gotta show my guy Damson Idris some love as well.
He showed out in F1!
He did! Right next to Brad Pitt too!
A photo of Jakholbi Murry & Canaan Wilson from Austin Sena
Be sure to check out Jakholbi Murry on his social media pages and look out for more projects coming soon!
Special thanks to photographers Austin Sena, Jordan Wilson and Mason Martin for their contributions to this Cover Story. More to come!
