254: JON SNOW | Actor & Advocate Talks Healing After the Trauma of Abuse

[This interview was recorded prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.]

Jon Snow is an actor and writer, but he is first and foremost the survivor of both a cult and of sexual abuse.

Raised primarily in St. Louis, Missouri, Jon ran away from home and the cult when he was just 17 years old, between his junior and senior years of high school. The cult, the sexual assault, and the physical abuse endured by his mother left Jon feeling powerless. A young man without a voice.

Not long after running away, acting came calling in the form of a mostly paid-for tuition at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. But even that was no walk in the park. He promptly failed out of college during his freshman year, after which he sheepishly returned to St. Louis. 

Four years later, Jon returned to Dallas, and SMU, determined to pursue acting. Initially, he was rejected on the grounds that the theatre department did see enough evidence of growth. Not to be deterred, Jon fought for his spot and was readmitted to the acting program, graduating in 2002 with a BFA in Acting. Next came the move to Los Angeles and the pursuit of the Hollywood dream.

But 15 years later, without much to show for an acting career, Jon realized he'd only been running away from his past, and that if he ever wanted the future he dreamed of, then something had to change. 

Through hustle and hard work, Jon was able to find a coveted position as a reader for multiple casting offices around Los Angeles. And now, having been a participant in over 10,000 auditions to date, he has started teaching other actors the insights he has gleaned during his time as a reader.​

Today, Jon's larger mission is to continue to find ways to deepen the connection to his voice and to reach back out to those who feel powerless, voiceless, alone, and afraid. Having walked that path, Jon can think of no better way than to shine a light in the darkness for others to follow. Even if it's just a single person, he knows it's all well worth the effort. 

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