Danielle Jalade, the star of the Disney Channel’s newest show “Saturdays,” is not only a talented actress and singer, but also an avid voice on the need for diversity and inclusiveness in Hollywood behind and in front of the camera. Jalade began her career in theater, starring in acclaimed productions such as The Lion King. This led to her first big on-screen role, as a young widow in Marvel’s Black Widow.
Describe yourself in three words.
Energetic. I have a lot of energy. Positive. I try not to have negative thoughts about things if there’s a negative situation; I try to turn it into a positive, and [thirdly], hungry. That may sound weird, but I love food. I’m always thinking about food. If I go to someone’s house, I immediately go to the snack cabinet.
What was the spark that got you started in the world of entertainment?
I’ve always known that I wanted to be an actress my whole life. When I was 2, I wanted to be on TV. When I got a little bit older and learned how to read, I was like, “mom, I really wanna get into acting.” So, I started going to Amazing Grace Conservatory, where we learned the fundamentals of theater and acting, and that’s how I got into it. I was like, “oh yeah, this is definitely what I wanna do. I wanna stay like this.”
What was it like working with Marsai Martin?
Working with Marsai is so bizarre for me. I’ve always looked up to Marsai. She is a Black girl that looks like me, that I can look up to and see myself, and she’s doing all these amazing things. So she’s always inspired me. Working with her, it’s like very surreal. I think it’s cool.
What is your ultimate goal?
I wanna create things so badly. I wanna produce, I wanna write, I wanna direct. Marsai has definitely inspired me to do those things and I’m happy that I get to watch and learn from her. This experience is so cool. If she can do it, I can do it too. So yeah, definitely watch out for me. I’m coming.
